


Would That Make You Sad?

by goodygoody19



Series: Would That Make You Sad? [1]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Angst (Becomes it's gonna happen), Anorta "The Blade of Justice", Chara is Reader's Child, Domestic, F/F, F/M, Jim the Waiter, M/M, Non-Binary Chara, OCs - Freeform, Past Child Abuse, Past Teen Pregnancy, Yes I did rename a character, fic of a fic, puns for fun, underswap - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-12
Updated: 2017-06-11
Packaged: 2018-07-14 02:15:15
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 49
Words: 126,310
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7148249
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/goodygoody19/pseuds/goodygoody19
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Chara thinks you're their older brother, but the truth is you're their dad. In an effort to get away from your own abusive father, the two of you end up falling into the Underground, home to monsters you never realized existed. But, with little to go home to, you and Chara end up staying in Snowdin with Sans and Papyrus.</p><p>Something seems off with Chara, however. There's times where they seem to know more than they should. And, to complicate matters, the tall, funny, and surprisingly caring skeleton starts flirting with you. Caught up in a romance you never expected, you try desperately to cling to this new happiness you've found after a life that had very little.</p><p>(All smut chapters include warnings beforehand. Current number of smut chapters: 3</p><p>This is a fanfic AU of of fanfic, @onadacora 's "Would That Make You Happy?". Thanks to her for her blessing!)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Down We Go

**Author's Note:**

> [ Onadacora's Original Fic ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/5053684/chapters/11621461) \--- [Chronicdelusionist's Comics](http://onadacora.tumblr.com/tagged/underswap-wtmyh/chrono) \--- [My Tumblr](http://darrelodin.tumblr.com/)

Chara was born just a day before you turned fifteen. Looking back on it, you absolutely believe them to be an early birthday present. Not that their mother would agree with you. She was sixteen at the time, and you could still recall the utter hatred in her eyes when she revealed the pregnancy. The heart pendant, the gift you’d gotten them on your one year ‘dating celebration’ had been discarded. Chara wore it now. Now they were your best friend.

You’re twenty-one now, and the fear that had swallowed you up has vanished. At the time though, you had no idea how to be a father. Your examples hadn’t been exactly inspiring.

Your father – he was always father to you, never dad – had discovered the situation during the third-trimester. Too late to try and pay for an abortion, according to him. So instead, he paid for their silence and the child. They were happy to take that money. She was ecstatic to never see you again.

Your father took over Chara’s life instantly. You let him. He provided everything they could possibly need. Food, clothing, advice, all of it you watched. You didn’t intervene. After all, it was better for them to have this.

He insisted Chara call him ‘Dad.’ The urge to shout rose the second he did so, but the moment Chara’s eyes met yours, you lost your nerves. They were so innocent, so curious. Everything you could have wished for in a child. You couldn’t tear that away from them. So instead of the cursing and shouting filling your head, all that came out of your mouth was, “Hey bucko! I’m your big brother.”

“Big bro!” They sputtered happily, rosy cheeks brightening as they squealed in delight. You heart clenched, but you kept a strained smile on your face. Your father nodded approvingly.

High school was madness afterwards. No one was allowed over to the house anymore. It hadn’t been a common occurrence in the first place, but appearances were to be kept up and a newborn crawling around the house would only raise questions.

You had the grades to get away, barely. You could have. Instead, you began taking classes part-time so you could work. Your father was seething when he found out. He’d planned for you to go to a ‘moderately prestigious university.’ You argued Chara’s education would cost a lot, and that saving money for them was the better long-term plan. Your father seemed shocked for a moment, before he calmly responded, “Why, that’s actually practical. I suppose believing you’d ever amount to something was too much to imagine anyway.”

Chara would be happy. That was all you wanted.

You worked for a lot of things during the next few years. Your number one goal, however, was that Chara would never suffer. So anytime ‘Big Bro’ caught wind of Chara misbehaving, ‘Big Bro’ would suddenly do something stupid. You bought a ratty old Civic – green pea soup colored, your father’s most absolute, without a shadow of a doubt, hated color – the first time. You got a massive tattoo down your right arm. You dated anyone and everyone who would piss off your father the most.

It worked. The worst Chara would get was a light scolding before kindly being asked to go to bed for a nap. You didn’t care what happened to you. And afterward, you’d always go to Chara and shower them with some hugs and snuggles until they fell asleep. They deserved every bit of kindness in the world.

Your perfect plan had shattered, one stormy night. Work had let out earlier than usual and you’d arrived home before dark. Nobody was there to greet you at the door. A sick feeling rose in your stomach as you quickly shut the door and walked down the hallway.

“What on earth gave you the idea that any of this would be okay? Hmm?” A sharp, cold voice filled the air, and the greeting you’d begun to utter died on your lips. “Answer me, you little brat!” You stumbled into the kitchen to see your father gripping Chara by the collar, their legs dangling in the air. He was glaring at them. You knew they’d been shaken. Roughly.. You’d prayed they’d never be faced with that.

Chara was about to cry. You could not let them cry in front of your father. Anything, you needed to do something. But you couldn’t think. It was all for naught. All of it, every sacrifice had been in vain. They’d never be safe again.

“Good, you’re here.  _ You _ discipline them.” Your father’s voice cut through your panicked mind. He dropped Chara, muttering under his breath as he left the room. You heard his bedroom door slam shut, and then the slight tinkling of glass.

Chara stared up at you, lips quivering from the floor. “B-bro.” Their voice cracked. One hand gripped their heart charm. The only red marks on them were their rosy red cheeks.

_ You dove down at them, all your fear finally taking hold. “What did he say about crying?” You growled. _

_ A steady whine escaped their mouth as they stared in horror at you. You clamped a hand over it. _

_ “You cannot go against him, Chara. Never! What he says, goes. Understand?” They needed to. Nothing else would happen if they just did as told. You – you could do something else, spit in his face. Chara wouldn’t have to hurt. “Understand?” You shouted. They were definitely crying now as your fingers tightened on their shoulders. _

_ Chara had always done what they wanted. You needed them to never do it again. You were only saving them from themselves. They couldn’t become like you. _

That…the hell was that? Déjà vu? Even now, the images faded from your mind.

Chara still lay on the floor, staring up at you. “B-big bro?” They said again, tears trailing down their face. There was so much fear in their eyes. They were looking to you for something, anything…

What kindness would it be to leave them to that bastard?

You dashed over, holding them tight. Chara whined into your chest, fingers clutching at your coat. How could you have thought this would work? You knew, you knew your father would catch them eventually for some ‘mistake.’ The moment you’d bought the car, turned eighteen, you should have driven away. But you’d thought having a stable figure in their life would be better for Chara. You’d imagined the bastard actually loving this child of yours. It’d have been better than barely making ends meet.

Now though? You knew better.

“I-I’m sorry,” Chara muffled cry came out, their voice wavering. “I-I musta done something bad, and-”

“Never say that,” you told them, voice just above a growl. “He’s wrong. That monster has always been wrong. You deserve so much more.”

You heard the tinkle of glass again. This was it. He’d be too drunk to leave the room now. You needed to leave now, before your anger and nerves left you.

“Go grab your sweater and put on your shoes, ‘kay bucko? Fast now,” you told them, ruffling their hair.

Releasing you, Chara looked up. They were still sniffling. “W-where are we going? Won’t we get in trouble?”

“Don’t you worry your head over ‘trouble’, ‘kay squirt?” If you had your way, they’d only face trouble with you. But where to go? Where could you hide that your father didn’t know about? You said the first thing that came to mind. “Mt. Ebott.”

* * *

You awaken to the echoes of what might be laughter ringing in your ears. Your eyes slowly blink open, revealing shafts of light filtering down from above. Something purple is around you. What happened? You’d both slept in the car overnight, glad to find no bruises on Chara, and then in the morning you’d hiked up the mountain. Chara had been running ahead, but you’d slipped trying to catch up and –

“Chara!” You gasp, jerking upright. You’re surrounded by purple flowers, but there’s no sign of your child anywhere. You cringe in pain as your head throbs, but you need to move. Twisting around, you scramble to your feet, and there, a short distance away, you catch sight of that familiar green and yellow sweater. Chara has their back to you, hunched over a patch of bare grass outside the bed of flowers. There’s some kind of red glow on the other side of them.

You’re already moving toward them as the light fades, and as you approach you realize Chara is talking to someone. They’re tall – heck, taller than you – and… Geez, is that… Fur? He – it’s gotta be a he, you decide – has long, floppy ears, large horns, and a mane of golden fur. He’s…kind goat-like, you guess. As you approach them, the creature looks up to you, eyes widening.

“Well, golly!” he says, his voice low and warm. “Young one, you didn’t say there was someone else with you.”

Chara turns to you with a wide grin on their face, cheeks rosier than ever. You hadn’t seen them smile since before last night. “That’s my Big Bro,” they say. They sound so proud of you.

You know you could tell them now. Your father can’t stop you anymore. This goat man couldn’t stop you. But it doesn’t feel right. They’d be horrified you’d lied for their entire life. And they’d panic, something you were trying not to do right now. Plus, where the heck were you?  So instead of saying anything, you smiled at them and step closer to Chara.

“Well then,” the goat-man says, smiling down at you. “I am Asgore, caretaker of these Ruins. Do not worry, I will take care of both of you.”

Asgore was kind enough to give his cell phone number before leaving to go shopping. Your own phone had connected to some sort of network down here in the Underground. You couldn’t reach anyone on the surface, though perhaps that was a good thing. No angry messages from unwanted assholes, after all, but you could reach Asgore. Chara had snatched you phone immediately after you realized that.

They were also incredible antsy, refusing to wait for Asgore’s return. Admittedly, you didn’t exactly feel comfortable waiting around this place either. Every rustle of a flower put you on edge, though Chara didn’t notice. They had run off in a flash, solving puzzles and sniffing flowers, giggling all the while. Occasionally you’d stop to question a monster about their whereabouts, and suddenly they’d be right there when you turned around.

You tried asking some of them about the place – ‘Are we going to be eaten?’ ‘Who cares for all these flowers?’ ‘Am I dreaming?’ – but many of them were simply amused by you. Monsters. How did monsters even exist? None of them could give a great answer.

By the time your question session is over with a very shy flying monster, you’ve lost sight of Chara. You quickly move on, ignoring the panic rising in your throat.

* * *

 

**You have only yourself to blame for this, you know that, right?**

“Less blaming, more helping please!” Chara says. A scoff rings in their head, but otherwise the voice remains silent.

Perhaps hopping on cracked floors wasn’t the smartest idea, but in their defense, it had solved puzzles before. Of course, the other holes hadn’t contained monsters.

A giant frog –  **A Froggit, geez** – hops in front of them, its soft ribbits echoing in the hole. It seems to be waiting for them to do something.  **Well yeah, that’s how it works! Gosh, don’t you know how to fight? You’ve been doing it this entire time!**

“No! I don’t! What do we do?” Chara says. It’s true, to them. Monsters are different from humans. No human can summon ‘Temmie Flakes’, after all.

**Stab it! You have a knife, don’t you?**

They glance down at the item in their hand. The blade is worn from years of use. Bro had given it to them on their birthday last year, saying it was great for gardening. They’d never really had the time to, but Chara had held onto it. Bro’s gifts were always helpful. 

“No! I don’t want to hurt anyone.” They mutter, distinctly ignoring how the Froggit’s head is tilting at them in confusion.

**Flirt!**

‘… That isn’t weird. What do we do that isn’t weird.’ The distinct impression of someone sticking their tongue out appears in their mind. Chara sighs, clutching their pendant. “What would bro do?”

He’d always managed to get out of trouble with just a few words. Like that one time, when they’d driven to the planetarium. He didn’t have enough money for the parking garage... 

_ “Sir, I’m sorry, but the price of parking is non-negotiable.” _

_ “But ma’am! On such a hot day as this, there should be deals for spaces.” _

_ “Sir, it is forty degrees out.” _

_ “Oh, sorry. But you’re heating up my whole world right now.” _

_ “Sir, please.” _

They shake their head, sighing. “... That isn’t weird. What would bro do that isn’t weird.” A soft meowing from the froggit catches their attention. Looking at it in surprise, they could swear its cheeks are darkening. It’s embarrassed? 

“Oh, you’re so cute.” They say, grinning down at the monster.

Its cheeks darken further, a small smile rising to its face. Averting its eyes, it quickly hops away, leaving Chara once more alone in the hole.

**Told you.**

Yes, all alone.

* * *

 

You catch up to Chara as they’re describing your car to a large carrot-like creature with a face. You can see the same red glow in front of them. Chara cheerily explains that something about the monsters draws it out of them, a glowing red heart that they say is their Soul.

You’re horrified, but rather than suffer from an existential crisis, you attempt to keep Chara away from the monsters. They easily wiggle out of your grasp and laugh at you as if you’re the child. The monsters do seem happier after Chara talks to them though, and Chara perks up too. You chuckle, letting the matter drop.

As you walk by yet another room filled to the brim with colorful flowers, Chara pulls your phone out of their pocket. Chara is giggling happily at your overblown sigh as it rings.

“Hello, Asgore speaking,” he says, as if he doesn’t know who has called. That number has been dialed at least five times at this point.

“It’s me, Chara!” they say, laughing. Asgore gives a warm chuckle in reply before Chara continues speaking. “Just wanted to let you know me and Bro are still okay…Dad.”

You feel like the floor just dropped out from under you. It shouldn’t hurt like that. Chara had never called you ‘father’, had no way of knowing. But that this stranger would be…? It hurts.

“What? Did you just call me…’Dad?’” Asgore asks, his voice quiet. “Golly! Would you be sad? If I said no?”

Chara freezes for a moment, pale hand twitching slightly. “Yes,” they mumble. Satisfaction rises in your chest. You feel disgusted seconds after.

“Well, we can’t have that! Call me whatever makes you happiest.”

_ Whatever makes you happiest. _ You wonder if the truth would make them happy…

No, it would be kinder to let them live this lie.


	2. Moving On

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Onadacora's Original Fic: http://archiveofourown.org/works/5053684/chapters/11621461  
> Chronicdelusionists Comics: http://onadacora.tumblr.com/tagged/underswap-wtmyh/chrono  
> My Tumblr: http://darrelodin.tumblr.com/

You can’t trust Asgore.

Seriously, how can one goat-man be so kind to complete strangers? He’s like a model father.  Too perfect, too kind. Maybe you’re just jealous because your own father was nothing like him. But it feels like he’s hiding something.

He even made muffins for you two.

You’re positive your dad didn’t know the first thing about baking. Cooking something practical, like eggs or pasta? Sure. But something as frivolous as muffins was a no-no. So of course, you’d picked up a little bit – just in case you needed to get his attention. Besides, your cake made Chara smile. That’s what fathers do, right?

Once, you try to explore the basement, and Asgore is beside you before you even touch the steps. He guides you back upstairs with a firm – but gentle – hand on your shoulder. You note his hand is large enough to hang off your shoulder slightly.

Chara loves him. They badger him with questions about all the kinds of flowers decorating the halls for hours before finally collapsing for a nap in your borrowed bed. You, however, aren’t tired. You tickle them a little, earning a giggle before kissing their temple goodnight. You leave, the door closing with a soft click.

Asgore is in the living room where you left him, watering some light blue flowers. His large, warm eyes look over as you enter, and he carefully places the copper watering can on the nearby shelf. 

“Young one, I was hoping to speak with you,” he says, his voice soft.

You’re conflicted whenever he speaks to you. A part of you – the one that’s Chara’s age, with skinned knees and a snotty nose – wants to let him show you every flower in this house, let him teach you their names. To call him Dad the way Chara does. It’d be easier to stay here, and you can feel the urge to beating in your chest. But you already know that’d it never work.

Already you feel like your childhood is repeating itself. But you’re an adult now, with a child of you own to care for. You have to be the father now, after avoiding it for so long. You will not let him take this chance from you.

He’s kind, but what Asgore offers isn’t real kindness. Not to your child.

Pulling out a chair from the table, you twist it around and sit with your arms crossed on the top. Asgore chuckles softly, though the remnants of it seem unsure. A low whistling sound fills the air. “Oh, let me just get that.” He leaves for what you guess is the kitchen, quickly returning with two ornate tea cups.

“Here! I thought you might like to try some tea. Violet flower.” He says. You take the offer and give it an experimental sip. Coffee had always been your drink of choice, but this tea threatened to take that place. You make a pleased noise, inciting a smile on Asgore’s face, though it’s quick to fade. He hasn’t touched his own tea.

“Chara has asked me how to leave the Ruins,” he says, his voice careful and measured.

You can’t really hide your surprise. Chara had been so happy with Asgore. Heck, you thought they’d be arguing with you to stay and let him care for you both.

“But you cannot do that,” he says, looking down at the tiny cup in his hands. Smiling yellow flowers decorate it. “It is too dangerous. She… It isn’t safe. Please, you must convince Chara to stay, that it is for the best.”

You grip tightens of the cup, the warm feeling fading. “We can’t. We need to leave for…” Home? What home? “… The surface.” This place… It’s no place for a child to grow up. Chara has school waiting for them. Heck, they have their entire life ahead of them. They can’t stay locked in this wonderfully scented cage with only you and Asgore for company.

“You will be safe here. We can be happy.”

“Happy? I don’t quite believe that.” You say. You look Asgore in the eyes. “Tell me, do you think it nicer to live out a lie? Running away from your problems?”

He opens his mouth to answer, brow furrowed, but he seems to be at a loss for words. His eyes dim a little, and he looks away. “No. No, I do not think it is nicer. But,” he turns back to you, and you know he’s pleading with you. “Would you not be better off? Where I can care for you?”

“No. That’s not good enough.” Not anymore.

* * *

 

Chara is still breathing softly when you climb into the small bed beside them. You wait a moment before you sigh and say, “So, bucko, what do you think?” Their breathing stops for a moment before they hesitantly sit up to look at you. They at least have the decency to look apologetic. Chara had always been one for listening in on conversations. Somehow your father had never caught wind of it, but you’d always known when the little rascal was peeping.

You try to keep your voice calm. The last thing they need is fear of you. “You’re getting better at that, ya know? Don’t think Asgore even noticed.”

Their crooked grin meets your own. “I was just curious. And it’s true. I didn’t think you’d want to stay here.”

You try not to sound too surprised. “But what about you? You got along pretty well with Asgore.”

They nod. “He’s super nice, and he makes some good food. And he cares about us! He asked me about my favorite flowers and even gave me some of his. Look!” They point behind the bed, where a vase holding some purple flowers sits. You recall seeing these particular flowers quite a bit throughout the Ruins.

“He does care, doesn’t he?” You murmur. And it’s true. Everything Asgore had done was kind and charitable. And the monsters on the way here, the Whimsuns and Froggits, even that shy ghost Hapstablook; all of them seemed incredibly compassionate and thoughtful. Maybe that’s what made them so fragile, too. It must be hard being that way. All your emotions, just…laid out, for all to see. It was an easy way to get hurt.

Chara’s smile fades. “But we have to leave. I know we can’t stay.”

“Why do you think that, bucko?”

The close their eyes, leaning into your arm. Both their arms grope at your middle for a hug. They don’t answer, and after a while you believe they fell asleep. Well, if you can’t beat them, join them. You’d been up for quite a while anyway.

As you drift off, you think you hear a quiet voice mumble: “He’ll get hurt if I stay.”

* * *

 

Chara is gone when you wake up. You know – the rational, thinking part of your brain – that they probably just needed the bathroom, or some water or something, but you also know nothing has been rational or made sense this entire day. You wait a few minutes, finding yourself counting the seconds under your breath, before you get out of the too-small bed. Sleeping in your clothes was rather uncomfortable – your jeans are riding up in that uncomfortable way – but it’s not like you have a choice.

Slipping on your boots – painted silver at the tips, since Chara had thought they’d be cooler as steel-toed – you don’t see Chara’s shoes anywhere. Maybe their feet had gotten cold? Yeah.

There’s no sign of Chara in the hallway. The bathroom is empty too. The kitchen, the living room, there’s no one to greet you. You steel yourself and knock on Asgore’s bedroom, but the door swings open to reveal no one inside.

_ You’d woken up the morning after disciplining Chara to find them gone. Their bed was empty, no note, nothing. Your father was furious, driving out to search for them while you sat dejected on their bed waiting. You thought they’d come back, wouldn’t leave you alone in this place. _

_ But nobody came. _

_ The glint of their heart-charm laying on the floor caught your eye, and you realized they never would. _

Pins and needles run down your arms and you stifle a nervous laugh. Just like those horror movies. You’d felt it when you woke up and now it was obvious. Where is Chara? Where is Asgore?

Only the forbidden basement to check. You hoped this wouldn’t end like those movies.

You practically leap down the stairs at that thought. If you’d left Chara to be monster stew after promising to care for them, you’d never be able to live with yourself. There’s that red glow up ahead, and you can hear the low hiss of flames. You can hear Asgore’s voice but you can’t understand the words.

You’re running now.

The hallway opens up into a large room, at the back of which is a tall, arched door. In front of that door is Asgore, kneeling on the ground with his arms around Chara. A quick glance around the room doesn’t reveal the fire you heard earlier, but at the moment you don’t care.

Your footfalls slow to a walk, and you come to a stop a few paces away from them. Asgore releases Chara and stands, looking at you as he does so. His eyes are sad, and he can’t quite look you in the eye. You step forward and place your hand on Chara’s shoulder. They don’t look back at you, but they reach up to cover your hand with their own.

“Goodbye, my children,” he says to you both, and as he walks around you, you can see that the door is cracked open. It must be the way forward.

You look back, one hand reaching up to grasp at your pendant. Asgore is hesitating, looking at you both as tears begin to swell at his eyes. He still smiles at you both, and your heart twitches in guilt. For a moment you consider scooping Chara up and carrying them upstairs. You want to drink more violet-flower tea in front of a magical fire place and have Asgore teach you all about gardening. You want to watch Chara grow up with Froggits for playmates and a large, gentle monster for a father.

You grip your pendant tighter. You’re their father. You can’t keep letting yourself be replaced.

Asgore turns to leave. You don’t say anything to stop him.

Now that you’ve found Chara and you know they’re safe, the fear from earlier warps in your chest and turns sour. You turn them around to face you, crouching so that you’re eye-to-eye. They can tell they’ve done something wrong; Chara immediately glances away the moment your eyes narrow.

“Why did you come down here alone, what happened?” you ask, and you realize that the tone of your voice is hurt. Chara hurt you by running off alone. By not trusting you. But, what reason had you given them to trust you? How much had you really taken care of them since they were born? “Were you going to leave without me?”

Chara shook their head so vigorously that their hair whipped around their face. "No! Bro, I just needed to make Asgore understand. And you were sleeping so good, I didn't want to wake you. I was going to come get you, I promise!"

Their eyes are wide as they look up at you, and you can't help but believe them. Chara had always done things their own way, by themselves. When they were two years old they would fight with anyone who tried to help them do anything, from getting dressed to brushing their teeth. It was a miracle it had taken this long for your father to reach the end of his patience with Chara.

"Okay. Okay, bucko, I believe you," You say, hugging them. You let out a shaky breath.

They hug you back. "We should go, Bro. I don't want to hurt Asgore more."

You don't either. You wish you could stay in this peaceful home forever, but you can't.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm apparently going to the beach today, so ya'll are getting the chapter a tad bit early! 
> 
> I'm not going to promise a clear-cut schedule, but around every two to four days should be a good estimate. Hope everyone enjoys!


	3. Meeting a New Friend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [ Onadacora's Original Fic ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/5053684/chapters/11621461) \--- [Chronicdelusionists Comics](http://onadacora.tumblr.com/tagged/underswap-wtmyh/chrono) \--- [My Tumblr](http://darrelodin.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Special thanks to chronicdelusionist for beta reading this chapter, as well as the past two. They are amazing and awesome! Maybe give the past two chapters another read? They've gone through some cleanup.

There’s another long hallway after that first door. It’s quiet and bare; the only sound the scrape of shoes across stone. Even though Chara was determined to keep going, they seem suddenly on edge now. They’re grasping at their pendant, twisting the chain left and right.

“You okay, Chara?”

They don’t seem to hear you, despite how your words echo through the hall. Face scrunched a little, their eyes keep darting to the side like they’re looking at something. You touch their shoulder and they jump. Chara looks up through their bangs (their refusal to cut them had led to quite a few scoldings over the years) with a startled expression.

“Are you okay?” you repeat.

They nod, then look forward again as you continue walking. Should you press the matter, insisting that something is not okay? You probably should, but you don’t. You can’t think of the right words.

You love them, so much that it hurts sometimes. But you’d always taken the backseat when it came to the serious stuff. Scolding and lectures; that was your father’s territory. You were the one who showered them with jokes and cheered them up after. Your father was practiced. And you? You were his guinea pig.

You quickly pull them up into a hug, earning you a familiar whine that you know is hiding giggles. Being affectionate, reminding them that you’re there and you love them…that’s you. That’s familiar.

“Brooooooo!” they groan, wiggling in your arms as you laugh. “Put me down!”

You chuckle once more at their protest and give them a big sloppy kiss on their forehead before placing them back down. Chara wipes at their forehead and pointedly turns away from you. You know they don’t really mind. You’re like this all the time. You give them the kisses, the snuggles, the tickles that your father denies. You’d thought you wouldn’t find someone who could bring love out of you until Chara came along (Except maybe Chara’s mother…but no, she’d been ecstatic to abandon you and your child. She took your father’s money and you never saw her again.).

The hallway opens up into another room, the one with the small patch of empty grass at the center. On the other side of it is a set of pillars and another door. Something about it makes you think this is the last one, the true door that leads to the rest of the Underground. You wonder what it’s like, this place where all the monsters live.

Chara hesitates, coming to a stop as they slowly turn in place. You aren’t sure what they’re looking for in the room. It’s pretty obvious the only thing of interest in the out-of-place patch of grass. How can plants grow down here with no sunlight? Wait. You bet the answer is magic. The answer is always magic in the movies. Boom. Now that list of impossible questions is all answered. You aren’t quite satisfied with your conclusion.

“...Missing? Why…?” they mutter, still spinning in place.

“Chara?”

They stop and look up at you, blinking. They have a disturbingly blank face for a moment before they giggle, cheeks reddening. It makes you feel a bit better. “Nothing! I thought I’d heard someone. Guess I was wrong.” Chara starts walking towards the door, leaving you to follow behind. You think you hear them say something like, “Feels familiar.”

The light that slants through the door as Chara opens it is blinding. You wince and shade your eyes. If you didn’t know any better, you’d think it was sunlight, it’s so bright. At least, compared to the otherwise dark Ruins. As you blink and adjust, you realize maybe you were wrong.

_ Bushes? Trees? Snow? _ Just as you realize what you’re seeing, a gust of wind blows through the door. You shiver uncomfortably. It’s freezing. No need for the cold shoulder, Underground.  _ Cold? _ You’d groan at yourself, but you’re so shocked by the sudden change of temperature it makes you gasp. Your fingers fumble with the zipper of your jacket before jerking it up to your chin.

Chara has already gone outside, so you hurry to catch up. You hesitate, then close the heavy door behind you. It only seems polite. There’s a path leading away, through a forest of tall, snowy pine trees. You really are wishing for that actual explanation about all this craziness. Saying ‘magic’ in response to every little thing is hurting the logical parts of your brain.

Ahead of you, Chara takes an exaggerated leap over a thick branch, arms swinging at their sides. You see them pause to bend down, hands reaching into the snow. You smirk, dropping down and forming your own snowball.

“Hey, Chara!” You call, releasing your ‘present’ as you do so. They turn, the mischievous smirk on their face giving way to shock just as the snow hits their face. Chara falls over, quiet. Your chuckling stops. Did you hurt them?

You step over to check them, apology already forming on your lips when they suddenly sit up and chuck their snowball at you. It makes soft splat noise as it hits your chest. Chara howls with laughter as you stare in surprise. A smile forms on your face, and you laugh along with them, sitting down next to them in the snow. This is nice, this fun and silliness. In this moment, you’re happy, the pair of you laughing at each other. Maybe everything will be alright.

A sharp crack rings out in the frigid air and your laughter dies on your lips. You turn your head to the noise, one arm already reached out in front of Chara. Nothing’s behind you except…the branch. It’s cracked in three pieces. A chill runs down your spine that has nothing to do with the cold.

“Come on, gotta keep moving,” you say, taking Chara’s small hand in yours and standing up.

“Bro-” they try to argue, but you’re not paying attention. You’re spooked, more than you’d like to admit, and you want to keep moving forward.

You hope you don’t look too scared. Too late, you think maybe moving at the first loud noise might only make Chara more worried. With a quick glance, you see their eyes are downcast, looking anywhere but at you as you hurry them along. You wince. You’ll apologize later, once you feel safer.

There’s a small footbridge ahead, over which is some kind of wooden gate. It looks kinda bad at its job, though. You and Chara could easily step through the posts. As you’re about to reach the bridge, you can hear heavy footfalls in the snow behind you. You try to pick Chara up so you can run with them in your arms, but they’re fighting you. You stop just at the bridge, tugging on them.

“Wait!” Chara says again, shrugging off your hands.

The footsteps behind you stop. You’re certain there’s someone behind you, and though you just want to dash through over this bridge, you can’t leave. Not with Chara fighting you. You open your mouth to say something, but you’re interrupted.

“H u m a n s.  D o n ‘ t  y o u  k n o w  h o w  t o  g r e e t  a  n e w  p a l?” The voice is quiet, so quiet you almost don’t hear it. “T u r n  a r o u n d  a n d  s h a k e  m y  h a n d.”

Taking advantage of your shock, Chara pulls out of your grasp and turns around. Before you can even register what’s going on, the air fills with the wet sound of…a fart? If your heart wasn’t pounding, you might laugh at the absolute absurdity of whatever the hell is going on.

You turn, and Chara is giggling at a grinning skeleton in an orange hoodie.

“nyeh hehe…looks like the joke’s on both of us, kiddo,” he says, and his voice is different. Louder, friendlier, gravelly and high. “my bro must’ve swapped out my other greeting when i was asleep. s’okay though. whoopee cushions are  _ always _ funny.”

After everything you probably shouldn’t be surprised, but there is a  _ skeleton _ . A skeleton shaking your kid’s hand. You think you might look a little wild eyed.

The skeleton looks down at you – he’s kind of huge, your eyes are at collarbone level on him – the way the bone curves makes his eye sockets look like pupils. You aren’t sure how that works. He has a thin skull, and…is that a cigarette stuck in his teeth? Something about his never changing grin makes you think he seems…confused. But you blink and the look is gone and he says, “i’d say you two are humans, but are you sure you aren’t a whimsun? you look just about ready to bolt, bud.”

You quickly smile, shaking your head. Oh gosh, are you blushing? Shoot, your cheeks feel warm. You hope he mistakes it for the cold. That might not have been the best way to meet a new monster, gawking in shock at him like that. You hope you don’t make a fool of yourself every time you meet a new denizen of this place.

“sorry if i scared you,” he says with a shrug and a lazy tilt of his head. “i’m papyrus, papyrus the skeleton.  i’m actually supposed to be on lookout for humans right now. “but… you know… i don’t really care about capturing anybody.”

Oh, well that’s alright then – wait, what?!

Chara doesn’t appear to be worried about being captured at all. They give Papyrus a huge grin. “I’m Chara, and this here is my Big Bro.” Sure, now they grab your hand all soothingly. After you make a fool of yourself.

“you don’t say? i suppose he’s big to you, but to me you’re both shortstuff,” he says. You don’t quite know how to take it, but it makes Chara laugh at least, so that’s a plus.

“Hey, not everyone hits the literal jackpot in height genes.” You say, pointedly looking Papyrus up and down. “And I’m their older brother, if ‘big’ doesn’t fit.” You add, the lie coming out easily. It’s natural, really. You’ve been repeating it for six years, after all.

You could swear Papyrus gives you an odd look before nodding. What reason could he possibly have to doubt you? Sure, it’s a lie, but he doesn’t know that. You feel frustrated. He’s looking back at Chara now. “that’s pretty cool, kiddo. i’ve got a brother too. siblings are the greatest, aren’t they?”

Chara starts to nod, then pauses. They squint at you, and you roll your eyes, feigning hurt at the implication that you  _ aren’t _ the greatest. Then they’re grinning.

“my brother sans, though... he’s a bit of a human-hunting  _ fanatic _ . i think he might actually be coming this way.” Papyrus must notice the worried look on your face, because he gives you a wink. Somehow. His skull should not be moving like that. No human skull would. You suppose that’s the point. He’s a monster. They don’t play by the same rules as you.

"don't worry, bud. i'm looking out for ya. just go through this gate thingy." He grins lazily. "yeah, go right through. i made the bars too wide to stop anyone."

After a moment of hesitation, you both step through.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My thoughts on the coming chapters: Puns are evil, caps lock is abused, and there's 'snow' chance of victory.


	4. Havin' a Ball

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [ Onadacora's Original Fic ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/5053684/chapters/11621461) \--- [Chronicdelusionist's Comics](http://onadacora.tumblr.com/tagged/underswap-wtmyh/chrono) \--- [My Tumblr](http://darrelodin.tumblr.com/)

The trip to Snowdin takes a while, thanks to the skeleton brothers. Along the way through the forest you’re tested by a variety of puzzles. Chara insists that they must solve them all by themselves, but you feel some hints aren’t out of place. They don’t seem to agree with you.

You are confused by the other guards you come across while traveling through the snowy land. They’re all dog-like, and all it takes for them to put away their very sharp blades are some pets. Watching as Chara’s determined petting motions send one dog’s neck stretches higher and higher into the sky (why question anything anymore?), you suppose dog-people are still dogs.

It’s thanks to Papyrus’ reassurances and constant appearances that you don’t worry more over your situation. It helps that Chara is loving every second of your journey. They’re going through the Underground as if in a fantasy land - which, you kinda agree with. You try not to think about those children’s stories where the magical creatures weren’t so kind.

Speaking of magical creatures, you aren’t sure how he does it, but Papyrus manages to ease your nerves with barely a word. You find yourself chatting with him after each puzzle, and you quickly realize that he loves his brother a lot. It’s really sweet. You also can’t stop laughing as he pranks Chara and Sans. You’re watching out for when he finally will come for you, but despite your wariness, a snowball just ‘happens’ to fall perfectly down your back. At your yelping, Papyrus’ grin widens and he winks at you. You can’t help but laugh as Sans’ scolds his brother, even as he fights his own smile.

And Sans, wow. He’s...short and _loud._ He jumps so fast between bragging about himself, admonishing Papyrus, and cheering you and Chara on that it makes your head pound. But he’s kind, and as you move forward you see Papyrus is right. Sans doesn’t want to hurt either of you. Even if his puns cause mental pain, and you occasionally flinch when he’s just a little _too_ loud.

You’re also not quite sure the brothers truly understand what a puzzle is. For instance, what you and Chara are currently ‘puzzling’ over: “Ball Game.” You’re positive the pair of you could’ve just walked by the large snowball, but Chara got excited, and who are you to say no to fun?

After listening to Papyrus’ ‘detailed’ explanation of the rules (“just gotta punt the ball in before it shrinks down to nothing, bud”), you and Chara jump into it. Chara manages to get the ball in seven times - describing just how they won each time - before finally relenting their turn to you. You laugh at their antics, their hands lost in your too-large jacket.

Your first attempt is over fairly quickly, a few punts knocking the snowball around with ease. You find yourself laughing as Chara describes your victory with gusto.

You take care not to let the snowball fly too far the second time, making your way over the snowfield at a decent pace. Chara cheers you on from the sideline, letting out a big “whoop!” as the snowball rolls into the hole with one final kick.

“What’s the verdict?” You say, kneeling down next to Chara after a victory hug. You try not to shiver in the still-frigid air. “How’d I win ‘Ball Game?’”

They clear their throat, closing their eyes as they raise a coat-covered hand. “Your concern and care for “ball” led to a delicious victory.”

You smirk, crossing your arms. “I thought I was ‘the kind of person who rushes fists-first through all obstacles.’”

“Clearly you have yet to understand “Ball Game,” bro.” Chara responds, peering at you with one eye open. They have a smug grin on their face.

“Oh really.” You heart hurts a little when they call you ‘bro’ now. You thought you’d gotten over that.

“Really!” You notice their eyes dart over your shoulder. They start giggling.

Glancing back, you see Papyrus has somehow fallen asleep on his feet. Next to him is a thoroughly unamused Sans. You shake your head, laughing as well. “Come on kiddo. We wouldn’t want Sans to get impatient.” Chara nods sagely and, with a flourish of your coat, walks toward the next puzzle.

The next few puzzles are rather amusing to watch Chara solve. You do find it just a bit odd how Chara will struggle a try or two, only to pause and solve it perfectly their next try. You shrug it off; the puzzles are pretty simple, despite Sans’ proclamations. Besides, Chara’s always been good at working things out.

You’re standing with Sans as Chara plays with the latest puzzle. Their face scrunches up into concentration as they work on turning X’s into O’s, and you find yourself smiling as you watch them.

“So,” you say, drawing out the word. San’s head turns towards you as he realizes you’re talking to him. “Why aren’t you trying to capture me? Like, right now? While I’m right next to you?”

The white lights in Sans’ eye sockets widen, and he somehow looks offended. “I, THE SANSATIONAL SANS, WOULD NEVER STOOP SO LOW! AND YOU HAVE CLEARLY MISUNDERSTOOD, HUMAN. I AM TRYING TO CAPTURE YOU. A PERFECTLY CUNNING TRAP, FOR YOU SEE, THERE IS _SNOW_ CHANCE YOU WILL - OH. IT APPEARS THE LITTLE HUMAN HAS SOLVED IT.”

Chara runs back to you with a grin on their face, looking back and forth between you and Sans.

“EXCELLENT JOB, LITTLE HUMAN. I KNEW A ‘COOL’ PERSON SUCH AS YOURSELF WOULD NEVER BACK DOWN FROM A CHALLENGE!”

You groan at the puns. Chara’s face lights up, and you know the agony has only just begun. “Of course not! It would be quite out of _Chara-cter_ if I did.” They proclaim.

“I SEE! WELL, IT WOULDN’T MAKE MUCH _SANS_ IF THAT WAS THE CASE THEN!”

“Alright!” You say, eye twitching. “On to the next puzzle. This way, right? Come on kiddo, we’re burning... Whatever the heck lights this place.”

* * *

 You don’t quite know what to make of the microwave. For one thing, it doesn’t have anything powering it that you’re aware of. (Do monsters have wireless electricity? Is that a thing?) For another, you don’t understand what the trap is. Beside it sits a plate of frozen hamburgers (do they have cows down here?) and a crossword puzzle. You could swear a couple of them have little cat ears doodled on them.

Papyrus and Sans watch both of you approach the tables. From the look on his face, you can tell Sans was not involved with this.

“PAPYRUS, IS THIS ANOTHER ONE OF YOUR PRANKS?” Sans cries, unable to hide his displeasure any longer. “THAT’S NOT THE NOTE I PUT ON THIS TRAP!”

“course not, bro. it’s a puzzle.”

You still don’t think ‘puzzle’ means quite what these skeletons think it means. Chara seems just as lost as you are, looking back and forth between the machine and food. A glance at Papyrus reveals nothing other than his smiling face…and a wink, which only tells you that there is a high chance of _someone_ being pranked right now.

Chara has placed the plate of burgers into the microwave, face scrunched up in confusion. “All the buttons say ‘burger.’” They mutter.

Yep, definitely being pranked. You shrug, deciding to play along by looking over the piece of paper. A snowman mascot named “Cool-die” cheerily explains the rules of what appears to be a crossword. “Name our queen’s favorite dessert.” “What color magic gives a situation some ‘gravity’?” You aren’t sure what to make of most of these hints, and after a moment you place the paper back down and walk over to the skeletons.

“PAPYRUS! THAT PUZZLE DID NOTHING TO STOP THEM!” Sans shouts, arms crossed. You unconsciously flinch at his sudden outburst. Sans doesn’t seem to notice, but you can see Papyrus eyeing you. “WHAT DID YOU EVEN PLACE THERE?”

“a crossword. guess it was too easy though. should’ve used junior jumble.”

Sans’ jaw hangs down, his pupils shrinking to pinpricks. From behind you, Chara speaks up. “But crosswords are way harder than word scrambles!”

“THANK YOU, LITTLE HUMAN!” Sans says. He shoots another glare at his brother. “SEE? EVEN THE HUMAN KNOWS JUNIOR JUMBLE IS FOR BABY BONES!”

“aww, but bro. crosswords have the same answer every time.” He winks at you. “since they always put me to sleep, i just fill every box with the letter z.”

You let out a snort, shaking your head as Chara and Sans groan in unison. “EVERYTHING PUTS YOU TO SLEEP BROTHER. PERHAPS YOU NEED TO ‘JUMBLE’ YOUR PRIORITIES. COME, LITTLE HUMAN!” Sans waves Chara over, the lights in his eyes shining brightly. “I, THE SANSATIONAL SANS, WILL SHOW YOU SOME MUCH COOLER PUZZLES THAN THIS LAZYBONES!”

The short skeleton makes to leave, but suddenly spins around and runs back to the microwave. With a laugh, he grabs the plate of still-frozen burgers and runs off with them, Chara giggling right behind.

You turn to Papyrus, unable to keep a smile off your face. “If it’s any consolation, crosswords always left me snoring, too.” His grin widens a little at that. “What’s with the burgers, though?”

The skeleton chuckles, back straightening a tad. “my bro’s taking cooking lessons. burgers seemed like a pretty simple thing for him to cook up, and he loves them. he’s made tons... and they’re practically edible these days.” You feel his gaze over you, and his voice turns a little softer. “you holding up okay, bud?”

You nod, familiar false confidence leaping to your expression unbidden. “I’m too hot for this cold to freeze.”

Papyrus looks down at you, and for a moment, you think you went too far. What were you thinking, saying something like that? But then he lets out a raspy laugh. “nyeh hehehe, i suppose a great guy like you would be fine then. just let me know if the cold gets to you, hot stuff. i’ll be sure to warm you right up.”

You feel your cheeks heat up, but before you can even respond, you hear Chara shouting for you. By the time you turn around to question Papyrus, he’s already gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Something seems different.
> 
> As always, special thanks to chronicdelusionist for beta-reading and their awesome suggestions!


	5. Bonedoggled

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [ Onadacora's Original Fic ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/5053684/chapters/11621461) \--- [Chronicdelusionist's Comics](http://onadacora.tumblr.com/tagged/underswap-wtmyh/chrono) \--- [My Tumblr](http://darrelodin.tumblr.com/)

You aren’t sure what you’re looking at. Sans nervously assures you it is, indeed, another puzzle. “It, uh, seems pretty…complicated.” You say.

“O-OF COURSE, HUMAN! ALL THE  _ SANSATIONAL _ SANS’ PUZZLES ARE COMPLICATED! SOME MIGHT CALL THEM TOUGH, BUT I,” The skeleton strikes a pose, his scarf fluttering alongside him. “THINK THEY’RE OUT OF THIS WORLD!” 

You don’t know what to make of that statement, but Chara’s giggling makes you take a second look. You groan upon seeing a model spaceship just hanging in the air above. Still, puns aside, there’s a lot going on with this.

“Chara, maybe I should do this one.” You say, eyeing a seemingly benign collection of tripwires with suspicion. “I mean; you’ve done all the others already.”

“But Bro! How else can I prove how cool I am to Sans?”

You see what must be stars in Sans’ eyes. “YOU WANT TO PROVE HOW COOL YOU ARE TO ME? … OF COURSE! HUMAN! YOU MUST LET THE LITTLE HUMAN TRY! I WILL BE CERTAIN TO KEEP AN  _ EYE SOCKET _ OUT FOR THEM.”

You can’t help but nod. They both look so hopeful. Chara claps their hands in delight, though if it’s at the pun or your approval, you can’t be certain. With another pun, the pair run down to the very clear beginning of this  _ monster-osity _ . You sigh. Sans is rubbing off on you.

Papyrus is watching you. He’s been doing that a lot, you notice. He doesn’t even pretend he wasn’t staring as he pulls out another cigarette. Well, that’s what you get for flirting. “they seem to be having fun. chara is a good kid.”

You nod, fighting the blush you’re sure is rising to your face. “They’ve always been great.”

“heh. must’ve got it from their big bro, eh?” You don’t like the slight inflection on the word ‘bro.’ He continues after letting a puff of smoke out. “but it’s good, you know? kids panic when they’re scared and alone. falling down into a whole world of monsters, well, even an adult could lose their cool.”

You narrow your eyes at the taller skeleton. “That seems silly. What’s there to be scared of down here?” You don’t want to think about the implication in his words.

Papyrus shrugs, hoodie rising and falling. “nothing. to a monster, at least. but be honest, what was it like discovering all this was real?”

You aren’t sure how to respond to that. After a moment, you shake your head and watch Chara study the puzzle. They’re describing their woes and loss, lamenting their inevitable capture by the  _ sansational _ Sans. The skeleton in question lets out a loud “MWEH HEH HEH!” that you think is supposed to sound triumphant.

“that was a bit much. sorry bud.” That raspy voice says. You turn, flinching back at how close Papyrus is. How did you not hear him? Really. “but, i want to thank you. you’ve probably been through a lot today, but you still played along with my bro. it’s really made his day. haven’t seen him this happy since…” He pauses, then shrugs. “well, honestly, he was getting a bit discouraged.”

“Sans? Discouraged?” You look back to the short skeleton currently joking along with Chara. He seemed so happy just telling puns. You aren’t sure he’s showed anything but enthusiasm this entire trip. “I can’t see it.”

“well, it’s true.”

You chuckle hesitantly, unsure how to respond. So you default on what’s always worked. “Well, you’ve both been so kind to us as well. It’d be a shame to let your brother be the only one happier from this.” You wink at him. “Don’t you deserve a _ bone- _ us too?”

You keep a pleasant smile on your face as you turn back to watch Chara solve part of the puzzle, unable to look over at Papyrus. You're not even sure why these things are flying out of your mouth. He's a skeleton, after all. A surprisingly charming skeleton. ... Are bone puns insulting to them? Probably not, judging by Sans. Unexpectedly, you hear a raspy chuckle.

"nyeh heh heh." You risk a glance at the tall skeleton to see him smiling down at you. "i gotta admit, hot stuff... that was pretty terrible."

Despite his words, he seems amused. You are totally blushing.

"W-well, that's all I've got. Chara's better for them."

"gathered as much," Papyrus has a (literal??) twinkle of mischief in his eye as he replies, "don't worry about it. if it was a crime to make terrible puns, we'd be in the same boat."

You open your mouth to reply, but he's not done.

"i could never resist  _ a rest _ ."

You let out a loud groan, the rapid beating in your chest slowing down.

“That was the worst.” You manage to get out. He looks unrepentant.

“BROTHER, ARE YOU TELLING PUNS?!” Sans' exuberant voice carries over from his place at the puzzle. You break down, clutching your stomach in laughter as Papyrus quickly heads off any attempts at a pun-off by lying through his teeth.

“‘course not, bro," He maintains a straight face, which in his case is a grin anyway. "i was just telling the human about whoopee cushions."

"WHAT?"

"they're always funny."

"UGH! PAPYRUS! STOP MAKING A TERRIBLE IMPRESSION!"

* * *

Papyrus warned you that Sans was going to want to fight. You’d hoped he was just joking or something. ‘Surprise, it’s a snowball fight!’ That… was not what was going on right now. It was obvious Sans didn’t really want to, but he was dead-set on capturing a human nonetheless.

The bridge to the little town of Snowdin is behind Sans. To move forward, you need to get past him.  Before you even realize what they’re doing, Chara is standing in front of Sans, their Soul glowing red in front of their chest.

You feel nauseous seeing that red light. “Chara, get back here!” 

They look back at you with a determined grin. “Don’t worry, Bro. I am only going to make him understand that we don’t have to fight.” They always like sounding more mature when they want something.

_ “I just needed to make Asgore understand.” _

That’s what they’d… They had fought Asgore too? A fight, waged by the power of Chara’s Soul? You take a step forward as Sans squares his shoulders back for a pose. His scarf hangs limply at his neck, and he doesn’t seem that focused. Maybe Chara can do this.

But they shouldn’t!  _ You’re _ the adult – their  _ father _ – and hadn’t you both fallen down here because you didn’t want them to get hurt? You take another step forward, but Papyrus catches you by the wrist.

“hey bud, it’s bad etiquette to interrupt a fight.” He’s staring down at your chest, but you’re too shocked by his grip to try and fight out of it. How can a walking pile of bones be that strong? “i…may not be able to see it, but it’s clear to me chara’s soul is stronger than yours. and down here, that’s what counts.”

His gaze meets yours, snapping you out of your daze. “Why aren’t you stopping your brother? Chara is just a kid,” you growl, low enough that only the tall skeleton can hear you.

“bud, chara isn’t  _ just _ a kid. they…” He seems about to say something, but he hesitates. Papyrus shakes his head, like he’s trying to shake off a bad memory. He winks at you, cigarette going crooked. “trust me. sans might give them a workout, but he won’t hurt them.  _ sans _ doesn’t hurt people.”

You scoff, shaking your head at the absurdity. Chara cried when thunder cracked too loudly. Chara teared up when they’d stepped on a caterpillar. Chara was a kid. A kid facing off against a skeleton with a smile on their face.

Despite that smile, Sans’ pupils look dim as he raises bones from beneath the snow. His attacks are in simple patterns. Chara dodges with ease.

“You better be careful, Sans. Those treats you left out looked so good, it’d be a shame if some  _ burger-ler _ got to them.” Chara says, smiling at him.

Sans lets out a laugh, though quickly tries to cut it short. “A-ARE YOU…TRYING TO DISTRACT ME? I WILL HAVE YOU KNOW, NOTHING COULD POSSIBLY GET MY ATTENTION AWAY FROM THIS BATTLE!”

Your heart is pounding as Chara deftly steps between bone patterns. “Aww, but Sans! Don’t tell me you’re getting  _ cold _ feet already?”

“OH NO, YOUR PUNS ARE  _ SANSTASTIC! _ ” Somehow, the skeleton is blushing… Blue. He’s wringing his hands. “WAIT, ARE YOU… FLIRTING WITH ME? I GUESS THIS MEANS I’LL HAVE TO GO ON A DATE WITH YOU…? LET’S DATE L-LATER! AFTER I  _ FREEZE _ YOU IN YOUR TRACKS!”

Oh god, they’re making puns while they fight? You didn’t teach Chara to flirt with death like this! “Is he for real?”

Papyrus chuckles, and you realize he still has a grip on you. He must still worry that you might try to intervene. “he’s just trying to keep the kid happy. don’t worry about it.”

“We could just go now. I don’t want to fight you, Sans.” Chara insists, hopping over a slow moving bone before it sinks back into the snow.

“SO YOU WON’T FIGHT THEN… WELL, LET’S SEE IF YOU CAN HANDLE MY FABLED ‘BLUE ATTACK.’”

Sans strikes a pose, his scarf fluttering. Then, with a look of concentration, his right pupil vanishes, and the left flashes blue and yellow. Wisps of magic trail out of his eye like a vapor. Chara freezes in place, just as a flurry of ghostly blue bones surrounds them and passes through them.

Papyrus’ grip tightens on you as you jerk forward, unable to watch Chara get hurt. He’s stronger than you, and it feels as though something else other than sheer force is holding you back. Like his Soul is overpowering yours.

“Papyrus,” you growl, panic rising in your chest. Your breathing is harsh.

“what did I say, bud? nothing to fear.” He’s watching Chara and Sans, not even glancing at you when you speak to him.

Your panic ebbs with the fading blue bones. Papyrus was right, Chara wasn’t hurt at all. But then the bright red glow of Chara’s Soul turns blue, making them yelp and fall down to one knee. Their cheeks turn redder as they grimace, straining to push themselves back to their feet as though weighed down by something heavy.

What did Sans just do? Why was Chara’s Soul different?

“Chara! Get back!”

“I’m fine! It doesn’t hurt,” they shout back at you. “Don’t let it  _ weigh _ you down.”

You make a choked sound as you watch more bones sweep through the snow towards Chara. They’re barely moving now, but they can still dodge, talking to Sans through it all. Telling him how great they think he is, and making puns about how they just want to hang out. The short skeleton seems to hesitant more as the fight continues, but he’s still attacking Chara. You notice he glances at you occasionally.

You see his pupils dart back to Chara and suddenly he winces. “PLEASE, JUST LET ME CAPTURE YOU!” He says. Chara stumbles, and you see a bone out of pattern.

You freeze up. They’re hurt. He’s hurt Chara. “Stop it, damn it!” You shout, yanking yourself forward. It’s your fault. You should’ve been in their place. Why are they getting hurt? Papyrus’ hand grips your other arm, and suddenly it’s hard to stand.

You see Chara glance back, your eyes widening as a bone comes at them. They stumble as it strikes their Soul, but they keep standing. Why can’t you get to them?

“bud, you gotta hold back. they’re gonna be fine.”

“No they’re not!” You growl. “Why are you letting him hurt them?” Chara’s turned away, but now Sans keeps looking back at you, his smile faltering as another bone spins into that red heart.

Your face is wet. It’s hard to breathe. Why can’t you protect them? “Please, just, please stop hurting them!” You voice cracks.

Nobody answers. The only noise is the rattling of bones and the panting of your child as they dodge them. You can’t fight anymore. You never could. Pathetic, pathetic. You bow your head, taking in short, hitched breaths..

“woah there, bud.” You’re gently placed on the ground, but all you do is curl up. He always hated it if you tried looking at him after. He would just keep going. You can feel his gaze on you even now, towering over you.

“H-HUMAN? ARE YOU ALRIGHT?” You can hear Sans’ voice calling, and you let out a sob.

“bud, everything’s going to be okay.” You want to shout that no it’s not, but you can’t even look at him.

“P-please,” you whimper. “Do whatever you want to me, just stop hurting my child.”

You hear a sharp intake of breath above you, but any words Papyrus was going to say are interrupted. “B-bro? Bro! What’s wrong?”

You barely manage to tilt your head upwards. Chara is staring at you, eyes wide in terror. Another fuck up; you’re scaring them. Behind them, Sans is fidgeting, looking between the both of you.

“I-IT APPEARS THAT THE LARGE HUMAN COULDN’T HANDLE WATCHING THIS  _ SANSATIONAL _ FIGHT.” His eyes are pinpricks. He seems to realize you’re looking at him as he quickly looks back to Chara. “THEREFORE, I GRANT YOU MERCY! NO, DON’T  _ SPARE _ ME A SECOND GLANCE, LITTLE HUMAN.”

“good on you, bro.” Papyrus says from above you. The raspy edge in his voice has softened. “why don’t you get back to the house, prep for these humans to warm up? gotta impress new folks, right?”

Sans voice shakes as he answers. “I’M SURE THIS IS JUST A CHANCE FOR YOU LAZE ABOUT, BROTHER!” He glances back at you and quickly turns around. “JUST… PLEASE TAKE CARE OF THE LARGER HUMAN.”

“’course, bro. you know me.” You can hear Sans steps pick up pace the further he gets, but then the hesitant crunch of snow grabs your attention. Chara is still looking at you, worry etched onto their face. You try to smile for them, say anything, but you can’t even breathe.

“buddy, can you look at me?”

You take a deep breath and manage to turn your head. Papyrus is crouched down, arms resting on his knees. He twirls his cigarette between two fingers, eye sockets focused on you. His teeth shift slightly, almost into a grimace.

“y'know, sans got a t-shirt as a present from alphys a while back. it had a skull on it. pretty cool, right?”

You blink at him, dimly unsure why he's sharing this or where he's going with it.

“it got me thinking, though. i mean, why would a human shirt have a skeleton on it?”

Your lips twitch upwards, and Papyrus seems to notice. He graces you with a conspiratorial look.

“i've got a theory.” He says, and you swallow, and you notice it’s a little easier to breathe.

“A... Theory?” You ask, voice strained. You really don't feel like giving an impromptu anatomy lesson at the moment.

“i think that humans -” He winks at you, "- must have descended from skeletons."

As you sputter out a giggle, you have to mentally admit that his little diversion is helping. You can feel the spring-taut coil of tension in your chest start to unwind. Chara is a few paces behind Papyrus, watching you. They grasp at their heart pendant. It's a nervous gesture, one you recognize easily. You hate seeing them worried over you. You glance back at Papyrus, whose grin looks a tad less strained. Seeing him looking out for you…

Well, it wouldn’t be very kind of you to leave him worrying, would it?

“H-How'd you figure it out?”

“c'mon. i'm not a  _ numbskull _ .”

You groan, but at the same time catch yourself laughing weakly. “That’s so bad,” you mutter, uncurling just a little.

“you’re smiling, though.”

“You’re awful.”

“m'sure sans would agree with you.” Papyrus stands up, holding out a hand to you. Unlike Sans, he’s not wearing any gloves. “you feel better?”

You do. Now that the fear is gone, you're just embarrassed for losing it in front of everyone. Chara is inching closer. God, Chara. They didn't know what went on at home when they weren't around to see; you're thankful your father had the sense to keep it quiet. But at least they won’t ask about your – what you think was a – panic attack. They just think you were worried them fighting Sans.

Shit, Sans. How are you going to face that skeleton? He attacked Chara! But despite that, he seemed worried about you both, and after everything that happened today, you couldn’t find it in you to hate the guy. Later, you’d talk with him later.

You reach out and take Papyrus' hand, and you're struck by the fact that it's warm somehow. Smooth, dry, and warm. His grip is firm, and he pulls you up with more strength than you'd expect from a skeleton… Or at least would have, before being bodily restrained by one. As soon as you're on your feet he lets go, and you both shove your hands in your pockets almost immediately.

"everything will be okay, bud." he says, and you feel your face heat up. "we shouldn't leave sans waiting. my bro is a pretty great guy, but i'd hate to leave him hanging.”

As soon as Papyrus turns away Chara is wrapping their arms around your middle, leaning forward to press their face into your stomach. You pull them close and smooth their hair.

"Don't be scared," Chara mumbles against your sweater. "Sans didn’t wanna hurt me. I’m fine."

"I know sweetie. I got worried, but please, don’t do that to me anymore. Not on purpose," you say.

You feel them nod against you before mumbling, "Are you okay now?"

"I'm better.”

"I love you."

You pull them closer, and the tight feeling in your chest is pleasant this time. "I love you too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special thanks as always to chronicdelusionist for their beta-reading! You save my bacon every time.


	6. Marks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [ Onadacora's Original Fic ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/5053684/chapters/11621461) \--- [Chronicdelusionist's Comics](http://onadacora.tumblr.com/tagged/underswap-wtmyh/chrono)

Upon entering the skeleton household, you’re greeted to the sight of Sans wiping down a table in what seems to be their kitchen. He looks up, eyes brightening at the sight of you. A shout of “LARGE HUMAN!” is your only warning before he drops the spray bottle in his gloved hand and grabs your hands.

“I AM SO TERRIBLY SORRY!” He says, before you can even open your mouth. “I DIDN’T WISH TO SCARE YOU.”

Papyrus had explained why Sans had fought (though why he couldn’t have told you before, you have no idea). Apparently the short skeleton wished to be part of the guard not just for his ego, but so people in the underground could feel safe. He didn’t even know what would happen after their capture, just that people would have hope.

“It’s alright, Sans. Just, uh, no more fighting, alright?”

“OF COURSE!” Releasing you, he clears his throat (somehow) and poses. “NOW THEN, A  _ SANSATIONAL _ HOST SUCH AS MYSELF WOULD HAVE ALREADY PREPARED THE SHOWER FOR YOU BOTH! AND, BEING THAT I AM SUCH A HOST, IT HAS BEEN DONE!”

You pat Chara on the back. “You go first, bucko.” Thankfully, they don’t put up too much of a fuss as Sans quickly leads them to the bathroom.

“hey, bro. why don’t you search my closet. might have some clothes that fit the kid.”

“OF COURSE! THOUGH I SEE THROUGH YOUR TRICKS, YOU LAZYBONES. YOU WON’T ESCAPE HOST DUTIES.” Sans says from further in the house.

With a click of what you assume is his door, Sans the house goes quiet. It gives you a chance to glance around the place. It certainly feels more like a home than your place ever did. Pictures of the brothers can be seen everywhere, and there are little things around that bring a smile to your face.

“so, bud. you good?” You flinch, forgetting Papyrus was still there. Had he just been watching you? At your nod, he chuckles. “i’m glad. not everyone would feel the same.”

“I mean, he did scare me.”  More like terrified you. “But like you said, he was just trying to do something good.”

Papyrus just nods in response. You feel his eyes on you, and suddenly you feel tense. After a moment, he says, “hey. about before -”

“LARGE HUMAN!” Sans interrupts, dashing in between the pair of you. “TO MAKE EVERYTHING UP TO YOU, I, THE _ SANSATIONAL _ SANS, SHALL COOK YOU APOLOGY BURGERS!”

You let out a shaky laugh. “That sounds awesome, Sans.”

You make sure to stay in the kitchen with Sans until Chara finishes their shower. Papyrus just jokes around and irritates his brother.

* * *

You didn’t realize how badly you needed a hot shower. You probably stay in there a much longer than is reasonable, but feeling the warm water on your freezing body is too good. You’re still not sure why the brothers have a bathroom in the first place. The rest of the house is pretty normal, all things considered, and it’s easier not to try and figure it out.

You snort at your fogged up reflection in the mirror. A swipe, and there you are. Despite all the weird things that have happened so far, you still look just like yourself. Like nothing has changed in three days. It’s still you. You unconsciously grasp your pendant as you twist around to see your back. Your finger traces the over the hard ridges and low dips on its surface. Just a reminder of what you took for Chara. That you’d rather suffer the world than have them face a moment of the cruelty and suffering it holds.

Chara. You really should get dressed and make sure they’re doing okay with Sans and Papyrus. The fight with Sans still clings to your mind (the rational side of it, at least). It’s muttering something like ‘how can you trust these skeletons who put your child in such danger?’. You ignore it, for the most part.

The last you heard, Sans and Chara were going to have their “date” while you took your shower. You chuckle softly at the thought and finish drying off with a beige towel. Papyrus promised you he’d make sure they didn’t get into any trouble while you took a little time to yourself. It hadn’t been easy to succumb to the lure of hot water, but you’re glad you did.

With a shake of your blonde hair, you sigh. You were lucky you’d had it cut recently. You wouldn’t have to worry about a hair cut anytime soon. The same could not be said for Chara’s brown locks. Well, worst comes to worst, you could always put their hair up in a ponytail.  Running your fingers through your hair one last time, you shrug at your reflection.

Good enough.

After all the snow in the forest, your own clothes were still drying, so Papyrus had lent you a few things. The grey, baggy sweatpants he’d lent actually fit pretty well. At least, they did after rolling them up half a foot. 

The loose t-shirt he’d given you made you snort. A black shirt with a white, silk screened ribcage on it. Is this the skeleton equivalent of a tuxedo shirt? It’s a bit large, hanging almost halfway down your thighs, but considering you’d probably tear Sans’ shirts, you’d make due.

Honestly, how are the two brothers? Where Sans is, quite literally, big-boned, Papyrus is practically paper thin! At least, from what you could tell from their tibia and fibula.

Then again, you mind yourself, the brothers  _ aren’t _ human skeletons. They’re monsters that resemble skeletons. Maybe it’s normal for them. Besides, no one said siblings have to look similar.

You’re grateful for the borrowed clothes. They’ll be perfect to sleep in later. You’re still surprised by how much Sans insisted that you and Chara stay the night with them. The short skeleton wouldn’t take no for an answer, stating that it was part of his apology.

Honestly, you’re happy for the excuse to put off working out what to do next. The Ruins weren’t really that inviting, despite Asgore’s best efforts, but Snowdin is a friendly little town. And you already had friends here, much to your surprise. What do you really have on the surface anyway? An asshole controlling your life that you’d finally escaped from (albeit after much too long) and a job you tolerate. Chara seems happy here, too.

Maybe…

Well, no need to rush into decisions just yet. Your grumbling stomach is much more of a priority.

You can hear Chara and Sans in the kitchen, and Papyrus is laying on the couch as you come downstairs. The couch is a bit of a monster itself, nearly the length and width of a twin sized bed. You figure this has to do with Papyrus’ height. At least it’ll serve well as a makeshift bed for you and Chara latter.

Papyrus’ eyes shift over to look at you as you enter the room and you think you see his grin widen. It makes you a little self-conscious, but you just smirk back down at him. “thought that shirt would make you feel more at home. become one with your inner skeleton.”

“You’re such a weirdo.” You say, chuckling as you cross your arms.

“i know. but hey, i like how it looks on ya.”

“I dunno, I think it shows off too much skin.” Oh god, your mouth will be the death of you.

He flops onto his side. When did he get a cigarette in his teeth? You can practically feel his eyes running down you. You hope you aren’t blushing. “i think it shows off just enough.”

You rub the back of your neck, silently praying your face would stop heating up.

“shame though. you’ve got all that skin hiding the rest of you.”

That catches you off guard. You try to hold in the laughter, but it bursts out from within in an ugly guffaw. Your face is burning, even more embarrassed, as Papyrus shakes with laughter. When you collect yourself, you notice that his cheekbones are a little orange.

“Well I’ve reached my ‘be-a-fool’ quota for the day, so I’ll just go check on my apology dinner,” you say, wiping a tear from your eye. God, you haven’t laughed like this in ages.

“what, you embarrassed, hot stuff?”

You let out a shaky laugh. “Pssh, a cool guy like me? Embarrassed?” Of course you are. Who wouldn’t be embarrassed of you? Your father certainly was. ( _ “Do you have to make such a scene everywhere we go? This is why you aren’t allowed out with me.” _ )

“well you got nothing to be embarrassed about, bud. i think you and your fancy tattoo look pretty great.” Papyrus winks, propping his leg up. He still takes up practically the entire couch right now.

Is he teasing you? If he was human, you’d think so without a doubt. But he’s a monster, and none of them have lied to you. And with all of your flirting, there’s very little reason to think he’d be mocking you. Maybe he’s just playing along. Yeah.

“A-anyway, I’m going to check on dinner,” you say, hurrying out of the room.

“see ya soon, hot stuff.”

Chara is hopping around beside Sans, excitedly letting out the punchline for a joke you’d missed the setup to (" _ Lettuce meat _ at dusk!"). Sans is furiously chopping some vegetables as he watches two pans on the stovetop. You take a moment to stop the blush still raging on your face.

Chara notices you mid-hop and lets out a laugh at your skeleton shirt. “You’re a  _ bone _ -afide skeleton now!”

“So, how was your, uh, date?” you ask, groaning over their joke as Sans chuckles.

“It was fun,” Chara says.

“I HOPE YOU CAN FORGIVE ME, LARGE HUMAN, FOR SHATTERING CHARA’S HEART INTO MICROSCOPIC, SANS-SHAPED PIECES. BUT UNFORTUNATELY, I CANNOT RETURN THEIR INTENSE LOVE FOR ME.”

Char is trying not to laugh.

You ruffle Chara’s hair, earning a slap to your leg. “That’s okay, Sans. They’ll be back out there before you know it.”

“THAT IS A RELIEF, BUT DO NOT FEAR! WE ARE NOW THE CLOSEST OF FRIENDS, AND I SHALL NOT REST UNTIL I HAVE HELPED CHARA FIND SECOND BEST!”

Muffled laughter escapes from Chara.

“You’re a great friend, Sans.”

The knife clatters on the table as Sans spins around to face you. His pupils are gone, replaced with tiny little stars. “REALLY?”

“Of course! Can’t let Chara be the only one befriending a great guy like you.”

You swear tears are forming in his eye sockets. He can’t seem to find his voice.

“Uhm, is that supposed to be smoking?” Chara asks, and Sans spins back around in a panic. Well, you’ve burned dinner before. Surely it won’t be that bad. Being inattentive isn’t that bad of a character flaw, after all.

* * *

Being inattentive isn’t Sans’ character flaw.

Chara is somehow able to devour two burgers, in addition to a plate of ‘vegetables,’ much to Sans’ delight. Papyrus watches with a grin on his face as you brace yourself and soldier through your own dinner. This is an apology burger, after all, and you can’t reject Sans’ apology. Even if your stomach might do so later. You quickly refuse Sans’ offer of seconds. A glance at Papyrus’ plate stuns you. When did he eat the food?

Sans is also quite interested in your tattoos, eyeing them with a mix between curiosity and confusion. “IS THE LITTLE HUMAN GOING TO GROW ONE AS WELL?” Papyrus and you both fight back laughter as Chara explains tattoos to the bemused skeleton.

Afterwards, you’re alone in the kitchen while everyone else piles on the couch to watch TV (who would’ve thought there was an Underground, monster television station?). Letting Sans cook for you had already put you on edge, that being one of your many chores back home. Between the nagging voice in your head and devious looks Papyrus had been shooting at you, you hastily offered to do so. He had given you a look, but otherwise said nothing.

It’s weird, but scrubbing away at the greasy pans relaxes you. That nagging feeling stops irritating you, and at least for the moment there’s nothing else to worry about. No voices telling you how worthless you are, how you couldn’t even do something as simple as scrub a plate. It’s comforting in its familiarity.

Maybe you were too focused on the greasy plate, or maybe it’s just how he is, but you don’t notice Papyrus until he’s leaning against the counter beside you. Jumping with a curse, the soapy plate you’re holding slips out of your hand and shatters on the floor. Your heart is hammering wildly in your chest.

“Oh shit, I’m sorry!” you blurt out, trembling as you set aside the scrub brush.

“don’t worry about it,” he says as you start picking at bites of plate around the floor. You’re just grabbing them in one hand, trying to hold them in the other. “hey, bud, let me do it. it’s my fault after all.”

“No, fuck. I screwed up,” you choke out, tears springing to your eyes. You’re still expecting him to get mad at you, shove you aside and shout. You broke their plate, damn it, how could you screw up something so  _ simple _ ? You rub your eyes with your arm, trying to hold back a shuddering breath but instead a sob escapes you. “I’m so sorry, I can’t believe I just did that.”

As you grab another piece of ceramic, Papyrus is kneeling down beside you and grasping your shoulders. “it was just an accident, bud. go sit down. i can’t get cut, so let me handle it.”

You keep going. “No, no, I screwed up.” You have to fix it. It doesn’t matter if it was an accident, it was your fault. You, all you.

“bud, please.” Two skeletal hands grasp your arms, stopping you. Papyrus’ smile looks a little strained, you think. “just relax, okay? it’s not a problem.”

Something in the concerned way he looks at you brings you back to yourself a little bit. You nod, dumping what pieces you’d collected into the trash as you go to sit down. Your hands are wet, you realize, so you rub them on your borrowed sweats. With nothing else to do with them, you grasp at your necklace.

Papyrus is silent as he turns off the water before kneeling down for the remaining fragments on the floor. He doesn’t even have to be careful about it, because like he said, it can’t cut skin he doesn’t have.

“i came in here to ask if you were still hungry,” he says. The top of his head is the only thing you can see as he works. “i appreciate you accepting that ‘apology,’ but i know his cooking is pretty terrible. figured you could use some real food, if you’re up to it.”

“It’s fine, I’m used to it,” you say, without thinking. Shit.

He goes still for a moment, pausing in his movements before speaking. “used to what? being hungry?”

You open your mouth to make some sort of excuse, but nothing comes out. He’s right. You would eat okay, but your standard punishment was no food. And once Chara came into the picture, well, they were more important. So what if you were locked in your room with no dinner for a week? What was hunger when it came to taking care of Chara?

You jump when Papyrus drops the remains of the shattered plate in the trash. He towers over you, pulling off his orange hoodie. He shoves it in your hands. “put this on and grab your shoes, we’re going to muffet’s.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I groan at my own flirting.
> 
> Reminder that chronicdelusionist is an awesome human being who supports my aimless shenanigans.


	7. His Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [ Onadacora's Original Fic ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/5053684/chapters/11621461) \--- [Chronicdelusionist's Comics](http://onadacora.tumblr.com/tagged/underswap-wtmyh/chrono)

You feel your legs erupt into goosebumps as the breeze of cold air hits you. Papyrus’ hoodie thankfully keeps the rest of you warm and snug. You have the hood pulled up to try and protect your wet hair, but it doesn’t do much. But the chill helps clear your head, washing away what remains of your fear.

Whatever lights up the underground during ‘daytime’ is dimmer now, giving Snowdin the look of a clear winter’s night. It’s charming, and if you didn’t know any better you’d think you were back on the surface. Muffet’s isn’t far down the road. You can already see the cool purple glow of neon painted across pristine white snow.

The walk over is in silence. Papyrus keeps fiddling with his cigarette. You guess it’s just something to keep his hands busy, since you’ve borrowed his hoodie. You watch him out of the corner of your eye, amused despite the tension. You can actually see his entire arms now, what with him wearing a tank top and all. His radius and ulna are larger than your forearm, you notice. If he was human, you would describe him as ‘tall and lean.’ Then again, even without flesh and blood, Papyrus gave that impression.

He doesn't say anything to you as you reach Muffet’s. He opens the door and you’re kinda surprised that he actually holds it open for you. You walk in. The place is not packed, though a few you recognize as the guard dogs are scattered at the booths. A couple of them greet Papyrus as you both pass, and he gestures at a pair of barstools. You lower your hood as you pull yourself onto a seat.

“Hello dearies. What would you two fine gentlemen like?” A light and pleasant voice asks. Despite your former promise, you flinch back at the sight before you. Muffet – who else it be, considering she’s behind the bar – looks over at you with all five of her eyes in surprise.

“I’m so sorry, did I frighten you?” Her (many) eyes narrow at Papyrus. “Papyrus dear, didn’t you tell the young man about my establishment?”

“’course. i let him know you weren’t someone to bug.” Papyrus pauses mid-shrug, considering what he just said. You chuckle along with Muffet as the skeleton slowly closes his eyes and massages his temples. “whatcha want, bud?”

At your hesitation, Muffet points a limb behind herself. Woven into a spider web appears to be a list of products. Spider muffins, spider cider, spider croissants… You’re sensing a theme here. You shrug. “The cider and a muffin sound pretty good.” You hope your voice isn’t too shaky.

Papyrus face softens. “that sounds pretty tasty. two muffins and a cider, if you would, muffet.”

“They’ll be out in just a moment, dearies.” With a soft chuckle, Muffet walks off toward the kitchen.

“so, bud,” Papyrus starts, and just like that, all the tension floods back. You know he’s watching you, but you can’t bring yourself to face him. Your gaze drifts down to the bar and you flinch again. Cobwebs cover the entire bar in intricate patterns. Did...did Muffet make this herself?

“i didn’t want to pressure you, ya know?” he says quietly. “i mean, hey, who wouldn’t be scared at the thought of their sibling being hurt?” He sounds sad.

You risk a glance at him, an eyebrow rising slowly. His perpetual grin seems less jolly. You could swear his eye sockets are curved downward. “but it doesn’t feel the same, watching you two. i don’t know what it is, but you can talk about it to me. i’m a pretty good listener. doesn’t take much effort, after all.”

Before you can say anything – though, you’re still trying to figure out _what_ to say – Muffet is back with your muffin. She sets the plates down in front of both of you with a smile. You consider asking about your drink, but suddenly you see a small jug and an opened can of pasta sauce moving toward you. What appear to be spiders politely stop and place the two bottles in front of you both before scurrying off.

You stare, turning just as Papyrus picks up the can. He takes a swig and your jaw drops. Muffet’s giggling breaks you out of it, and you quickly unwrap the muffin, fighting your blush. You take a bite, trying to get back on track. Maybe it’s because it’s been a long, exhausting day, or because the burgers were just that bad, but this muffin is the best damn pastry you’ve ever had in your life. It’s warm, fresh, with buttery flakes on the inside and this sweet taste you can’t quite place. You take a couple more bites before you can break yourself away from your food to talk.

“Life was… Well, crap. For me, at least,” you say. You look at Papyrus again and he’s just watching you, patiently. “I’d been passed around a lot, and he was the only one who didn’t let go. But that just meant I couldn’t… Whatever. Point is, he’s up there, and I’m down here.”

You bite into your pastry roughly, angry memories bubbling to the forefront of your mind. Papyrus is quiet.

“and chara? did they also have a rough time?” he asks, after a little while. He sounds like he’s approaching a puzzle, trying to find the missing pieces.

You grunt, unsure how much you’re willing to tell. “Everything was fine, until a couple of night ago. The night before we ended up Underground. My fa-…” Shaking Chara, ready to… “He was about to _discipline_ them. I’d dealt with that for years, but no way was I letting Chara-”

You feel a bony hand on your arm, and you flinch. Papyrus’ eye sockets seem tight and he slowly lets go of you. You look away, realizing you’d been getting louder. ( _“People are watching you. Shut. Up.”_ ) Swallowing, you stare down at your food, unsure if you should continue. But he had asked. In for a penny, in for a pound, right?

“I thought I could protect Chara.” You mutter. “I was the problem around the house. And hey, it didn’t matter what happened to me, because Chara would be happy.” And it didn’t work.

You let out a shaky chuckle, breathing deeply. “I almost left. I don’t have Chara’s determination, ya know? I let him do whatever to me, but…I feel that if I hadn’t decided to get Chara out of there, I’d never see them again. They’d run. I’d always entertain the thought, fantasize about it. But Chara? Chara would do it.” You grasp your necklace and sigh. “Does that sound crazy?”

You glance at him, and for a second you could swear his eye socket is tinted orange, but it’s gone before you’re sure what you’re seeing. Instead, there are beads of sweat running down his skull, his mouth set tight enough to bend his cigarette. Fuck, he’s angry, isn’t he? Before you can even try to apologize – you’re not sure for what exactly. Pissing him off? Telling him your life story at his encouragement? – he speaks. His voice is quiet, shocked. “no. not at all,” he says, and you aren’t sure you believe him.

Papyrus looks away, and when he turns back the sweat is gone. He gives you an uneasy grin. “and humans say we’re the monsters… but i’ve yet to find a monster who would toss their kids around like that.”

Shame creeps up the sides of your neck and you look back at what’s left of your muffin.

A bony hand reaches out and grasps your shoulder, giving you a small squeeze. “hey, for what it’s worth, at least chara had a great big brother like you.”

He says it so honestly, despite all his earlier words, that you get angry. He knows, doesn’t he? Fuck, he already knows you’ve been beaten, so why not tell him this? Your yank your body away and growl. “You already know that’s bull. I’m their father. Happy?”

You chug the spider cider to distract yourself, anger fading as quickly as it formed. What will he think of you now? You’ve lied to his face. Does he still think you’re doing a good job with Chara?

He doesn’t speak.

You glance at him out of the corner of your eye, swallowing. His head is tilted and you get the sense that he’s confused. Well, better than disgust. “What? Didn’t think I could actually get anyone in-”

“bud, i appreciate jokes as much as sans enjoys puns, but don’t twist this,” he interrupts, reaching back over and squeezing your shoulder again. You let him. “i didn’t know how to apologize for making you think i was toying with you.”

You sigh, nursing your cider. “Why did you think I was lying?”

“your… eyes. they would dim whenever chara called you ‘bro.’” He hesitates. “how old were you?”

You shrug, keeping watch on him. “Fifteen,” you admit. Papyrus’ eye sockets widen. “She was sixteen.” You add.

His grip on you tightens, and you are pretty sure it isn’t on purpose. “you were just a kid. both of you.”

You thought you found someone who cared about you, who thought you were enough. It was the only way you could think of to feel like you mattered to someone, mattered at all, at least for a little while. “Shit happens.”

“then chara…” There’s a pause where you can see the gears turning in Papyrus’ empty skull. “oh. they think your dad is their dad too.”

“Yeah I just… I couldn’t.” You close your eyes. “I had already fucked everything up for someone, so it was easier to let him do it. He was happy with a child. I didn’t know how to be a dad, Papyrus. It was kinder for them to have someone who wouldn’t fuck up parenting them. Of course I was wrong there too.”

The only sounds are the background murmurs of other patrons. You open your eyes again and look at him. “So yeah. I’m a _great_ big brother.”

“bud, sarcasm ain’t funny. that’s what my great brother tells me. and considering what _you’ve_ told me, fuck that old man of yours.” He says, and you’re a bit startled by his language. But he was around Chara before, this is probably normal for him. “you did the best you could. all things considered, i admire what you’ve accomplished. it’s pretty great.”

Admiration and compliments are the last things you expect from your confession, and you aren’t sure what to say. You take another swig of the cider. It’s rather sweet, almost unbearably so, but it warms you right up.

“You can’t tell Chara.”

“i won’t. that sounds like a personal thing for you. but, don’t you think you should?”

“No… Yeah. But not yet. I will, just, when the time’s right.”

“wouldn’t it be better for them? to know the truth?”

You make a noncommittal sound as you place the cider down, and Papyrus drops the subject.

You look back up when Papyrus removes his hand from your shoulder, and you find yourself a little sad at the loss. "i should have said this earlier, but i'm sorry. sorry about all the shit you've gone through. i know that doesn't really help, but..."

“It _does_ ,” you say, and you mean it. A weight is off your shoulders, now that it’s out. He understands why you behaved the way you did, and he knows the truth. It _helps_. “Thanks, Papyrus.”

Words aren’t enough though. You lean forward and wrap your arms around Papyrus’ waist. He goes rigid as you catch him off guard, but after a moment he hesitantly hugs you back. The hoodies softens some of his hard edges, and the hug is a lot… Nicer than you are expecting. You let your head fall against the cushion of your arm, forehead resting against his ribcage as his head turns down towards yours.

"Thank you," you say again, because you feel like you haven't done justice to just how thankful you are for him. "Not just for listening. For everything. You're a real friend, even if you do tell terrible jokes."

He pats your back, then gives you a comforting squeeze. “i’ll have you know not a single thing i say is a joke. for instance, you pull off my hoodie pretty well.”

You laugh and push yourself away, shaking your head. "I dunno, I think it looks better on you."

"whoa. let's not get carried away." Papyrus takes a drag and lets it out, smoke curling up towards the thoroughly webbed-over ceiling. His easy grin turns sly. "have you looked in the mirror lately?"

Your face is heating up considerably, but before you can stammer out a response, Muffet pitches in from a few feet down the bar. "Have  _you_?"

Papyrus shoots her a scandalized look, but he gets what he wants. You’re blushing and giggling, even as you try to hide it behind your hands. He takes hold of your shoulders and pulls you into another hug, patting your back as you feel him shake with suppressed laughter. As your laughter eases away, you uncover your face and hug him back, resting your chin on the stiff curve of his clavicle. The scent of tobacco fills the air.

"Thanks," you say again, voice soft. "I really needed that."

"you're welcome."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chronicdelusionist is amazing. More news at 11.


	8. That Look on Your Face

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [ Onadacora's Original Fic ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/5053684/chapters/11621461) \--- [Chronicdelusionist's Comics](http://onadacora.tumblr.com/tagged/underswap-wtmyh/chrono)

“By the way, this is completely out of the blue, but why is there moisturizer in your shower? You don’t even have any skin!”

Papyrus chuckles beside you as you make the short walk back to his house, all the tension gone. “you got me there. it’s actually for alphys, when she stays over. she always forgets hers, so sans keeps some in stock, just in case.”

Oh. You suppose that makes sense. It’s a bit boring, compared to everything else, but you suppose ‘magic’ doesn’t _have_ explain everything down here. Just most things. “She’s…what, Sans’ boss? Captain of the Royal Guard, right?”

“yeah. normally, it isn’t a big deal for her to stop by, but if she found out about you guys?” he sighs, and when you glance over at him you’re surprised to see him looking serious. He notices you looking at him and shoots you a crooked smile. “i wouldn’t worry too much, bud. Sans hasn’t said a word to her about you two being here. plus, she hates the cold. says she it makes her want to dig a hole and take a nap.”

You suppose that’s reassuring. But, you get the feeling that this Alphys is going to be a problem sooner or later, whether you stay with the skeleton brothers or not. But that’s for the future. No need to worry about more trouble unless it comes to you, right? “Speaking of Sans,” you say, pointedly changing the subject, “do you think he’d mind if I tried cooking dinner tomorrow?”

“you really don’t have to do that, bud.”

“I do if I want edible food.” You grumble.

Papyrus laughs. “i guess that’s fair. he shouldn’t mind.”

“Awesome. What on earth do you have in your house besides burgers?”

“well, we have a couch, a fridge, a tv-”

“Edible. What edible food, bonehead.”

He smirks at you. “oh, in that case...” he trails off with a shrug.

You shake your head, smiling despite yourself. “Fine, I’ll just pick up something from the store in the morning.”

“i’ll give you some gold in the morning. just remind me, k?”

“Papyrus, you-” you’re about to argue when you catch yourself. You and Chara had picked up a few gold coins along your way to Snowdin, but not nearly enough to support yourselves, let alone the skeletons too. “… Okay. Thanks, Papyrus.”

The living room is dark as you follow Papyrus through the front door, the only light coming from the television. Some sort of game show is playing on the television, though with the sound turned so low you can only tell some robot is the host and one of the players just won. When you catch sight of the couch you smile, warmth swelling in your chest.

Sans and Chara are both asleep. Sans is laying sideways, one elbow on the couch and his gloved hand holding up his head. A fluffy pillow with a starred pillowcase is on his chest, which Chara is snuggled into. Their hair fans out around their head like a dark halo. Laying lengthwise alongside Sans, Chara is wrapped up in a thick, blue blanket. Sans’ other hands is resting at their side.

You and Papyrus exchange a look, and you can see the fondness in his expression. He made no secret how he feels about his brother, and you can see it plain on his face.

“I could just sleep on the floor.” You offer. It’d suck, but you don’t really want to move them.

“nah, couches are much more comfortable,” he says. “i’ll get my bro, you get chara.”

You nod, unwilling to argue. The floor never was that comfortable.

Chara mumbles a little in their sleep as you scoop them up, still wrapped in their blanket. They’re still pretty light, you notice, as you lift them and shift them to the other end of the couch. Somehow, they don’t wake up. Something about kids just lets them sleep deep like that.

As you take care of Chara, Papyrus is pulling a groggy Sans to his feet. “c’mon bro, lets get you to bed.”

“Paps?” he says, and you realize you’ve never heard his voice so quiet. Apparently Sans _is_ capable of toning himself down. You note his voice is lower too, though that might be grogginess. “Ah, you’re back.”

“you got it.”

Sans glances over at you, and for a moment his eye lights go out and he seems confused. He takes a slow, deliberate blink and they’re back. “Ah, large human. I hope my brother entertained you well. If not, I will be sure to do so myself next time you wish to take a walk,” he says, stifling a yawn. With a quick peek at Chara, he lets Papyrus guide him up the stairs.

You really ought to get ready for bed yourself. You take off Papyrus’ hoodie and drape it over the armrest of the couch, then run a hand through your hair. What a day.

Letting out a silent yawn, you grab the discarded pillow and shift Chara onto it, closer to the back of the couch. You feel better taking the outside, knowing Chara can’t roll off and onto the floor in the middle of the night. Right as you’re about to lay down next to them, you hear a familiar voice.

“hey,” Papyrus whispers, getting your attention without startling you like he normally does. He’s at your side before you even notice him approach, and you’re starting to wonder just how he does it. Monster magic, obviously. That’s always how it works down here. He has a blanket and pillow in his hands and he’s holding them out to you. “thought you might need these. kiddo hogs the blankets.”

You take them, glancing down at Chara and back at Papyrus. “yeah, good guess.”

Papyrus' chuckle sounds a little forced. "right, yeah. i was the same way as a kid. sans says i would grab every blanket i could find and wrap myself up like a little burrito." he shrugs, looking back at Chara. “‘course, now it’s the other way around. guess my bro found out how comfortable it is.”

"Thanks," you say, gesturing with the pillow and blanket in your hands.

He nods, picking up his hoodie and slipping it on. "sleep well." He turns off the television on his way out.

You watch him climb back up the stairs before shaking out your blanket and laying down. As you settle in, Chara shifts beside you, scooching closer. You roll to your side and pull them to you. Chara's face burrows under your chin, and a warm, contented feeling fills your chest as you breathe in the familiar scent of their hair. For a moment it doesn't even matter that you're borrowing a skeleton's couch for your bed. Here with Chara, you feel at home.

"Bro?" Chara mumbles into your chest, rubbing their face against your shirt.

You smooth back their hair, stroking the side of their face. "Right here, bucko. Go back to sleep."

"Mmmm." Chara’s body relaxes, and soon you can tell by their breathing that they're sleeping again.

* * *

Papyrus hesitates as he reaches the door to his room, and turns to look over the railing to the living room below. He can just make out the shape of you and Chara through the darkness.

His hoodie smells like you – well, you and Alphys’ moisturizer. He almost can’t believe he kind of likes it. He likes all of you.

After repeating everything over and over again, he finds himself at a loss. He doesn’t know how to act towards you, what to do when you suddenly flirt with him. Chara never truly changes. Their goal is always the queen; it’s just how they get there that changes. Usually they’re kind, sometimes even sticking around Snowdin for a little before moving on. But sometimes, they’re not. And when the worst paths happen he’s always there to stop them at the end. When Chara comes back after those times, it takes them longer to warm up to him, as if deep down a part of them remembers. But they don’t, not really.

But this time...

 _This_ has never happened before. _You_ have never happened before.

This changes everything.

* * *

You slowly wake to the feeling of someone gripping your chest. Your bleary vision makes out Chara clutching you tightly, still fast asleep. You run a hand through their hair. You love them so much. They’re your world, and seeing them safe and sound is all you need.

Your phone reveals it’s five-twenty; much too early to be up and about. But with the light peeking through the windows, you can’t see yourself nodding off anytime soon. You carefully peel Chara off, wrapping them back up into the blankets. They grasp around in their sleep, eventually gripping the pillow. You can’t help yourself from taking a picture, they’re too adorable.

You make your way toward the kitchen. Thankfully, there appears to be a coffee machine. You set up a mix (instant is better than nothing, you’ve found) and begin opening cabinets. Might as well see what needs to get bought.

“Pasta sauce… Pasta sauce… Geez.” There has to be enough of the canned sauce to feed the entire royal guard in this kitchen. You shrug. “Guess I’m making spaghetti.”

You swear you hear a choking noise behind you, but when you turn, there’s no one in sight. Upstairs, you think hear someone moving around.

* * *

Papyrus isn’t home when you get back from the store with Chara.

“HE IS WORKING. AS HE SHOULD BE, THE LAZYBONES,” Sans tells you, following you into the kitchen and eyeing your bags of groceries with curiosity. “THOUGH I DOUBT HE’LL GET A _SKELE-TON_ OF WORK DONE SLEEPING AWAY LIKE HE NORMALLY DOES.”

“Right,” you say, hiding your disappointment in a groan. Will you ever be free of the puns?

“WHAT’S THIS?”  Sans’ asks, finally getting a look at your purchases. He seems shocked. “NO BURGERS? BUNS?”

Definitely not. You line up your groceries on the table and hand a bundle of meat (it looks like beef, which raises way too many questions) to Chara, nodding your head towards the fridge. You weren’t too surprised by the selection of vegetables at the store, what with all the rabbit-like monsters living in Snowdin. Carrots, snow peas, and broccoli would make fine additions to your spaghetti. They even had parmesan cheese. Again, questions raised that you really don’t think you want answered.

“I’m making spaghetti and meatballs, with some veggies thrown in,” you tell him.

“Don’t worry Sans. My bro makes the _absolute_ best spaghetti. You won’t _regretti_ trying it.” Chara adds, happily dancing around you as you finish storing the food. You pointedly ignore the pun.

If there’s one thing you learned cooking food for college students, it was everyone loved a good home cooked meal. And considering that job in the kitchens was partially why you even could take classes, you made sure to master those meals. It made for nice surprises for Chara at home, and it kept _him_ happy.

Sans eyes your selection, looking doubtful. But when he looks at Chara, he’s all smiles. “INDEED. WELL, YOU DID LOVE MY BURGERS, SO IT’D BE _IMPASTABLE_ FOR YOU TO HAVE BAD TASTE! I’LL TRUST YOU, HUMANS.”

“Gee, I’ll make sure not to let you down, Sans,” you respond, biting back sarcasm.

“DO NOT WORRY, LARGE HUMAN, FOR EVEN IF YOU DO I’M SURE YOU’LL _KETCHUP_ TO MY COOKING MASTERY IN NO TIME! AND I’LL BE THERE TO HELP YOU TOO!”

Despite the absurdity of the situation, and the bad pun, you start laughing. Even when he doubts your cooking skills, Sans still finds a way to be supportive. Papyrus is right, he truly is a great person. You flash a grin at him. “Thanks Sans. You’re a really cool friend, you know that?”

“R-REALLY? I MEAN, OF COURSE I AM! THE _SANSATIONAL_ SANS IS ALWAYS COOL. BUT LARGE HUMAN, DO NOT FEAR! FOR YOU TOO ARE VERY COOL. AFTER ALL, YOU’RE SLICK ENOUGH TO HAVE SWEPT MY BROTHER OFF HIS FEET.”

You feel your mouth open and shut, but no words come out. Chara is looking at you with a disturbingly blank face, while Sans just smiles cheerily at you. You and your big, flirtatious mouth. Wait. You freeze, going over what he said. “Was that a pun?”

The blank look on Chara’s face vanishes as the pair of them break into laughter. “WHY OF COURSE! ONLY THE COOLEST OF PUNS FOR THE COOLEST OF FRIENDS! OR THE GREATEST, AS MY BROTHER WOULD SAY.”

That mild panic melts to warmth as you stare at him. How can such a little guy be so enthusiastic and supportive of you, and make you truly believe him? You feel like you can do anything, like it doesn’t matter what happens, there’s someone supporting you? These two skeletons have made you feel at home again and again; made you feel loved where only Chara has done so before. You could hug him, but you aren’t sure if he’d be okay with that.

Wait, _swept off his feet?_ That train of thought is cut off before it leaves the station as you feel a tug on the fabric of your pants.

“Bro? Are you okay?” Chara asks, their hands gripping your leg. They look blurry, you realize, as you started tearing up.

“OH NO, I BROKE THE LARGE HUMAN! MY KINDNESS WAS TOO MUCH FOR YOU, PLEASE DON’T BE OVERWHELMED!” Sans says, and suddenly a pair of bony arms are gently wrapped around you in a hug.

You let out a laugh, because despite the silliness, it’s true. You just don’t know how to handle such wonderful people. But you’re willing to learn, you think, as you return his embrace.

Sans spends the rest of the day with you and Chara, keeping you company. The three of you take a walk around Snowdin, made much more entertaining by the skeleton’s colorful commentary. You gradually realize that none of the other monsters seem to understand that you and Chara are human. You can kind of understand their confusion, considering how diverse monsterkind is. For all they know, you could be some relatives of the skeletons, just with skin. Sans doesn’t bother to correct any of them.

Later, Sans and Chara get into snowball fight with some of the local children. If not for finally getting to wear your own clothes again, you’d join in. Besides, it’s cold enough outside, no need to dive into piles of snow too. You let out a good-natured sigh when the snowball fight turns into a impromptu comedy routine. Apparently one monster, Snowdrake, wants to be a comedian, and your companions decided to help him out.

Despite the poor quality of jokes flying about, you find yourself strangely content. Chara is cheering on the hesitant monster, their cheeks red and hair soaked. You wish every day could be like this. But with that hope comes the fear of this happiness ending. Everything is so uncertain. The Royal Guard wants to capture humans, though you're not sure why. Asgore seemed confident that leaving the Ruins would put you both in danger, and you can only guess it's because of that.

Chara interrupts your thoughts, running to you and flinging their arms around your middle. "I won!" You smile down at them and push damp hair out of their eyes as they grin up at you, breathing heavily. At some point they must have picked up a stick too, as you can feel it poking your back.

"NO, I, THE _SANSATIONAL_ SANS, WAS VICTORIOUS!" Sans is walking over, arms crossed and head up turned, though you can make out a mischievous grin on his face. “THOUGH THE LITTLE HUMAN WAS CERTAINLY A CLOSE SECOND.”

“Yes, this little human is a real rascal alright.” You chuckle, hoisting them up onto your shoulders. They giggle pointing their stick forward like a marshal. “Between you and me, I’d say they fancy themselves a real comic, Sans.”

The moment the skeleton’s face lits up, you realize you’ve made a terrible mistake. “WHY LARGE HUMAN, WAS THAT WHAT I THINK IT WAS?”

“Nope, nope. You heard nothing.” You move faster, ignoring the laughter coming from Sans.

“But Bro! I thought it was pretty _ice_!” Chara says, laughing as you break into a run.

You’re hounded by jokes from the both of them, right up until you force Chara into the shower.

* * *

The pasta is resting in the boiling water as you gather what else you’ll need for dinner. Grabbing a couple of cans of pasta sauce (you’re sure Papyrus won’t mind them going towards their intended use), you set them down and turn back toward the rest of your food.

“Bro, can I help?” Chara asks as you untie the bag of snow peas and set a bowl on the table to put them in as you clean them.

Chara is wearing a pair of cotton shorts from Sans, the drawstrings pulled extra tight to keep it on their hips. On them though, they look more like pants. They’ve got a too-large t-shirt on as well, barely hanging onto their shoulders. It has the words ‘SO COOL’ written on it in what appears to be dried paint. They also still have that little walking stick of theirs, though the extra branches appear to be carefully picked off.

You smirk at them. “‘Course! I’d be honored to have a cool kid like you help.”

They stick their tongue out at you before eyeing the carrots nearby. “Can I cut up the carrots? You’ve shown me how so many times, I know I can do it!”

How could you say no to a smiling face like theirs? You’d already set aside a second pot of boiling water for the other vegetables, so why not let them help anyway? “Course, bucko. But be sure to take your time, alright? Don’t want to hurt yourself.”

“Yay!” They place their stick down on the table before heading over to wash their hands.

You sit down at the kitchen table to get to work on the snow peas, keeping an eye on Chara as they carefully start chopping the carrots. Chara had walked in on you practicing for work one night, mumbling something about a bad dream, and in your infinite wisdom, you’d decided to start teaching them. That had been last year, and now they were a regular iron chef...at the basics, anyway. You’d only let them start using the knives in the past couple of months, but you trusted them. Chara followed your directions to the letter when it came to learning new things.

About a third of the ways through the peas, Chara is scraping the carrots off the cutting board into another bowl you had set aside. "How about chopping up the parmesan? It’ll be great with the pasta sauce.” you say as they clean off the knife, carefully keeping the edge away from their hands.

“Okay. But are you sure Papyrus didn’t _dairy_ you to use his pasta sauce?”

“Hey! No puns in this kitchen, even if it is Sans’.” You answer, not looking up from the peas.

Chara giggles, pausing in their carefully slicing to grin at you. “But puns are a _slice_ of life!”

You let out a groan, glancing up from your pea snapping to berate them when you glance up and see Papyrus in the doorway.

He gives a lazy wave. “hey, bud. preparing a feast for little old me?”

You scoff, waving a snow pea at him. “Only hard workers get dinner tonight, buddy.”

“i’ll have you know i work hard to do nothing. but i’m sure the rest of you have worked your… your…” He trails off, eyes locking onto the stick next to Chara. He looks… frightened. Sweat is beading on the side of his skull.

"Papyrus?" you say.

He flinches but doesn't look at you. Chara looks back, their head tilting.

"Papyrus?" you say again, and this time he turns his head.

For a second he looks lost, and you can swear an orange light was building in his eye socket, but as he focuses on you, you can see him visibly relax. Glancing at Chara and back at you, he wipes at his skull with the back of his sleeve. "hey kiddo. no, uh, no sticks in the house. wouldn’t want a forest growing in here, ya know?" he asks, and you can't help but notice the slight tremor in his voice.

“I don’t see any good spots to plant one myself. But you heard the skeleton, bucko.” Chara doesn’t say a word, instead just staring at Papyrus. You’re not really sure what’s up with his odd request, but it is his house. “Chara? You can get another tomorrow if you’d like.”

"yeah kiddo, there’s tons outside. practically an entire forest of them." Papyrus holds out his hand for the stick.

For a second, you swear Chara’s face goes blank as they place their knife on the table and grip the stick. But before you can even comprehend what you’re looking at, they’re all smiles again. They pointedly hand over the stick without a word before turning back to their work.

The stick disappears into his pockets. If Papyrus saw anything out of the ordinary he doesn't say anything. Instead he just flashes a grin at you and turns on the spot. The door shuts behind him with a click.

"Hey, look at me," you say as Chara stays silent.

They look up and wait patiently, a question in their bright eyes. You can't see any traces of… whatever that was in their face, just the same cheeky Chara you've always known. "What is it?"

You shake your head, smiling at them. You reach out and ruffle their hair. Chara gives a loud protest and squirms away, leaving you chuckling as they pout. “Wash your hands, bro.” They mutter, going back to their slicing.

* * *

Papyrus’ hands don’t stop shaking until he’s taken a good, long drag outside in the snow. When he returns a few minutes later, the only hint of the stick are some tiny splinters on his hoodie.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the slightly longer wait; life is hectic. Also as a warning, this upcoming week is going to be quite busy for me as well, so the next chapter will probably be a little slow to come out as well.
> 
> Thanks as always to chronicdelusionist, saving me from myself.


	9. And Everything Nice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [ Onadacora's Original Fic ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/5053684/chapters/11621461) \--- [Chronicdelusionist's Comics](http://onadacora.tumblr.com/tagged/underswap-wtmyh/chrono)

You don't think you'll ever forget the look on Sans’ face the moment he tries your dinner. His jaw goes slack after he swallows (how?!) and his eye-lights turn into stars once more. They're the same cyan shade of his magical eye, so you think it's got something to do with that. He apologizes to you over and over for ever doubting your cooking prowess, and after every bite he makes an enthusiastic noise of approval.

You're so happy, proud, and embarrassed from Sans’ attention. It's hard for you to eat when you can't stop smiling.

It’s decided that in exchange for staying at the house, you’ll take care of the cooking. You could kiss Papyrus for suggesting it. He knows it too, considering the smirk he sends your way after, but you don’t care. Sans’ feelings won’t be hurt, and you won’t feel like a freeloader.

You're so distracted by just enjoying yourself in Snowdin that the next few days pass in a dizzying blur.

Some of the local kids figure out that Chara is staying with ‘those silly skeletons’ and they come by the house to see if they can come out and play. Chara’s eyes are so bright. They barely wait for your nod of approval before they’re running out the front door. You wince as you notice one of the monster children stumble and fall flat on their back (they have no arms to catch themselves) but they just get up and laugh.

You find yourself browsing the local library, or as the sign says, ‘Librarby’, while Chara is out. It’s a really cozy kind of place. The librarian murmurs a quiet greeting as you let the door shut behind you. At a nearby table, you see a few monsters chattering away as they go over sheets of paper. Huh, you guess that’s where the newspaper is written.

You find yourself aimlessly wandering around for a while. You recognize some of the books in here from  _ his _ room. You’re quick to move on to other shelves when you do. No need to remember that part of your life.

Just as you’re considering returning to the house and cleaning, you spot a little sign reading ‘History.’ Curiously, the section was rather small, filled up entirely of light green books of varying sizes. You smile at one of the titles that read “Monster History, Vol. II (Children’s Edition).” You browse until you manage to find a non-children’s edition and shake your head in amusement when you see a small stamp on it. “If you are still reading this, children, please have some  _ page-ence _ . You may read it when you are older.” These puns, you cannot escape them.

You spend the rest of the afternoon delving into the history of monsterkind. Apparently, whoever the old king was had a difficult time with names. New Home? Really? Even the author hung a lampshade on that one. Despite your amusement over Monsterkind’s leaders, the rest of your reading sends shivers down your spine. There was a war? How long ago was this? None of your history books on the surface had even made mention of anything like this. The only information that might have been close were all those ghost stories about monsters eating people underneath Mt. Ebott. 

When you have some free time later that night, you make sure to ask Papyrus more about the history of monsterkind. He casually shrugs and explains what he knows, and you end up listening to him up until Chara starts pulling on you to come and sleep.

One day you and Chara accompany Sans on his rounds through the forest. The two of you help him calibrate the puzzles you completed, and you check in with the various dogs. You practically have to wrestle Greater Dog off of Chara because he  _ won’t stop licking them _ . He just repeats the process on you, much to Chara and Sans’ amusement.

The next day, Chara isn’t feeling up to walking around with Sans, so you decide to take them with you to the library. It turns into a wonderful morning as Chara discovers that the monsters had somehow gotten their hands (or wings, or paws) on some of their favorite manga. Which is, oddly, labelled as “Human History”. It doesn’t strike you as very accurate.

As you turn to ask Chara if they’re getting hungry, you nearly leap out of your seat. Papyrus is right next to you, watching you. His smile grows as you mumble curses at him. “hey, bud.”

“How’d you even know we were here?”

“sans let me know. said something about two lonely humans all tucked up in a librarby.” You can’t help but chuckle at that.

“I wouldn’t know about lonely. I mean, look at all these books keeping me company.”

“well, i know three's a crowd, but...” Papyrus’ voice drops just a little. You’re almost positive you heard a little growl in there. “what do ya say? wanna chill with me? i have some of muffet’s croissants tucked away for emergency lunches.”

Well, how could you say no to that? Papyrus even borrows a couple of books for Chara and yourself to read back home. Along the way back, you laugh as Papyrus answers some of Chara’s most pertinent questions. Apparently, the snow falls down here because of magic. What did you expect? 

Sans soon stops by, and starts lecturing his brother on the evils of distraction from his very important sentry job. In the end, though, he can't argue with Papyrus when he points out that he is, technically, doing nothing  _ but _ watching humans right now. The taller skeleton gives you a meaningful look as he says it that thankfully seems to go over both Sans' and Chara's heads. Soon after, Chara decides that they want to ‘ensure that all human-capturing puzzles are properly tested with real humans.’ The shorter skeleton happily agrees, leaving you and Papyrus to yourselves.

Papyrus captivates you with stories of the underground. How Sans had gotten himself involved with the Royal Guard (he apparently decided guarding Alphys’ house all day and night would work), how Papyrus and Muffet became friends (and Paps learned never to forget to pay for a meal), how Sans’ ‘battle body’ came into being… Before you know it, you’re laughing over every little thing he says.

After a while, your shaking mirth settles and you find yourself leaning against Papyrus, content and drowsy. He doesn’t say anything when your head falls against his shoulder. Watching the snow slowly fall down in this comfortable silence is nice. Heck, just being with Papyrus is nice. He knows your ‘dark and mysterious past’ now, after all. But he doesn’t think any lesser of you for it. It helps. He also doesn’t pity you, or treat you like you’re fragile. He still startles you from time to time, but you enjoy those little pranks. He’s showing how much he cares.

“hey, bud?” Papyrus says, waking you back up as you start to doze.

You make a noise of agreement.

“is Chara… happy down here?”

“‘Course they are.”

“are you?”

“Yeah.”

“just yeah?”

"Affirmative... Positive," You yawn. "Yessir?"

He chuckles at you, but otherwise says nothing.

You settle back down against him and close your eyes. As you start to drift off, you feel him lace his bony fingers through yours.

* * *

Papyrus knows he’s making some sort of mistake. Getting attached just runs the risk of a reset tearing everything away. And if that happens, would you even be there with Chara next time?

He can’t work out why this time is so different. He hopes it means something, that maybe this will be the last time, once and for all.

And, if it is… Can he really afford not to care?

Looking down at your sleeping face, he’s starting to think he can’t.

* * *

Sans finds the two of you a few hours later, startling you awake with his scolding. You’re embarrassed to find yourself nearly laying on top of Papyrus; you think he must have gradually slid into a more reclined position in his sleep, taking you with him. You try to rise naturally, letting out a loud yawn. The sly look on Sans’ face as he shakes his head and turns away does nothing to reassure your success. Papyrus’ cheekbones are orange, and he winks at your once Sans starts walking away. Your face gets hotter, despite knowing he’s just teasing you. Right?

Chara is unusually talkative on the way back home, and insists on holding your hand. They don’t leave your side while you make dinner, nor do they seem to be in any hurry to fall asleep. And they beg with you to play with them until bedtime. As nice as it is spending time with them, you’re getting a bit exasperated.

A sudden idea pops into your mind, and you quickly lay back onto the couch, tugging out your phone. You start going through your photos, smiling wistfully once you find the perfect one.

“Whatcha looking at, bro?” Chara asks, immediately at your side. You quickly chuckle and hide the phone from them. “Come on, let me see!”

“I will, I will. I was just looking at some baby pictures.’

“WOWZA!  _ BABY _ PICTURES?” Sans stares up at you from the floor, where what appears to be a pillow fort is being constructed.

You chuckle. “Yep, I take ’em everywhere I go.”

“Can I see?”

“ME TOO!”

It’s so hard for you not to break into full on laughter at the pair of them. But you resist and ( _ completely _ nonchalantly) reply, “Sure, knock yourselves out.”

The pair don’t notice your wide smile, too busy fighting over who should hold the phone. As they finally agree to share, you notice Papyrus eyeing you curiously from nearby. You wave, and something in your face must give you away, because he casually leans against the doorway to watch the three of you.

You turn back to the pair before you. You start shaking as their bright smiles slowly fall away. They both look lost and confused. Sans in particular stares at the phone as if it’s some puzzle. “HUMAN BABIES MUST GO THROUGH SOME SORT OF METAMORPHOSIS.”

“Bro,” Chara says, eyes turning toward you, an eyebrow raised, “This is a picture of your car.”

“And I miss my baby every day!” You practically sing before finally breaking out into a deep belly laugh. Papyrus is chuckling from the doorway, and gives you a thumbs up.

“PAPYRUS, YOU’VE DRAGGED THE LARGE HUMAN INTO YOUR PRANKING GAMES! HOW COULD YOU CORRUPT SUCH A WHOLESOME PERSON?”

"sorry, bro." Papyrus pauses to completely level his expression. "hanging around a master like me, it was only gonna be so long before he  _ boned _ up."

The pun is awful, but Sans' face as he struggles between holding on to his annoyance and burgeoning amusement is enough to make you laugh harder. Despite themselves, Chara giggles as Sans finally stops sputtering and continues to berate his brother.

* * *

A week into your stay with the skeleton brothers you decide to bake a cake. Chocolate, Chara’s favorite, though you personally would’ve liked to make some red velvet. Chara is out playing with the other kids, Sans is out tending to his puzzles, and Papyrus is inside with you.

The tall skeleton in question leans against the counter as you pull out everything you need (you’d grabbed the ingredients earlier that morning), watching you with  _ that _ grin on his face. You thought you’d gotten used to the way he always seems to be looking at you. Ever since napping on him the other day, though, there’s been some kind of silent tension in the air. Your flirting prowess has abandoned you. Whenever he flirts back, it feels so genuine, but… that’s impossible. He’s a monster, a walking skeleton. How would he even do _ it _ ?

You’ve been considering that problem more than you’d ever admit.

Cake. Yeah. That’s what you’re in the middle of doing. You measure and set aside a bowl with flour and baking soda, and start to combine the other ingredients. But, where’s the sugar? You could have sworn you placed it right next to you… Oh. You notice it near Papyrus.

Well, that’s a set-up if you ever saw one. You notice a handful of other shakers nearby and inwardly laugh. With a sly smirk you look him in the eyes and say, “Could you hand me the spice?”

He opens his mouth as if to say something, then pauses. He chuckles, and suddenly leans forward, cupping your face with one hand and brushing his mouth against your lips. Was... was meant to be a kiss? Oh.  _ Oh _ . "i think we both know you wanted the sugar, hot stuff."

You feel your face burning as he slowly pulls back. You can’t quite look him in the eyes. “I, uh, take it that wasn’t, a… Prank?” you manage to say, your voice soft.

“not now.” he says, and you notice despite his grin, he seems serious. “i’d never joke about this.”

You shake your head. “You can’t be serious. I mean-”

“i’m completely serious.” He cuts you off, pushing off the counter. “but I’ll spell it out, so you don’t get the wrong idea. you and me, on a date. you know, if you’re as interested as you’ve been letting on.”

Well there it is. Foot-in-mouth syndrome has seriously struck. But you can’t say Papyrus is wrong. You manage a slow breath. “Are you really asking me out?”

He raises a brow and his grin widens. “i’m pretty sure that’s what I just did, yeah.”

“But, I… Paps, I’m a human.” This is insane! Is he for real?

“huh. would you look at that. so?”

How can he be so chill about this? “Paps, even if we did date and nothing went wrong, what then? I mean, Chara and I have been freeloading on your coach! And besides, how would… How would sex even work?” You know you’re blushing, but this is important information. Because it better not be ‘magic.’

… Who are you kidding.

He actually laughs. “gotta admit, i’m not up to date on how all this,” he waves a lazy hand up and down at you, “human biology works. but i’m pretty sure we can work it out. you know, if, uh, you’re interested. and it gets to that.” He makes a noise like he’s clearing his throat and glances away for a second.

You should just ignore him. You can’t just enter a relationship with some monster you’ve been freeloading off of! Weren’t you and Chara supposed to leave anyway? Granted, the way things were going, moving out of Snowdin was a crazy thought, but can the two of you really stay in the Underground? Before, Papyrus had asked if you were happy here. And you are. You’ve never felt happier, more at ease.

Papyrus leans a bit closer to you. He’s starting to look a little uncomfortable. “c’mon bud, give me something to work with. i’ll even take a no, i’ll understand, but don’t leave me hanging.”

This could end horribly. You’ve had too much experience for that not to be true. But looking at his, you could almost describe it as hopeful, expression, what do you really have to lose?  For now, why not indulge in something both of you seem interested in? “Yeah, why not?” you say, grinning widely at him. “Sounds like a great time.”

Something sparkles in Papyrus’ eyes as his smile widens. “believe me, you’ll have the greatest of times, hot stuff.” He holds out a hand to you and you grip it, smooth bone sliding under your fingers and palm. It’s a familiar, comforting feeling now. You wonder how it’ll feel on the rest of you. “i promise you’ll never be happier.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter goes out to Onadacora for her incredible milestone of over 500,000 (500.000 for the rest of the world) words! You're the best, Onamom!
> 
> P.S. chonicdelusionist is still awesome too. Make sure to tell them.


	10. dating start

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [ Onadacora's Original Fic ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/5053684/chapters/11621461) \--- [Chronicdelusionist's Comics](http://onadacora.tumblr.com/tagged/underswap-wtmyh/chrono)

You barely resist the urge to scrub chocolate off of Chara’s chin from where they’re snuggled up with Sans on the couch. You’d managed to get your hands on not one, but _two_ mega-sized chocolate bars at the grocers, and you’re glad you had. News that you and Papyrus were going out alone had gone over worse than you expected. Chara whined and pouted, complaining that they had barely seen you all day, which you reminded them was because they were out with their new friends. _You_ had been at home. Chara never comes out and says it, but you think that perhaps they’re jealous of the attention you’ve been giving Papyrus. You suppose that, despite all the rebounding dates you’d had since Chara was born, they had never really met any of them. Hell, nobody else besides the pair of you and _him_ had even been in that house since Chara was born. They’re just not used to sharing your attention.

As much as you’d rather not let Chara chow down on chocolate the size of their head, the stuff has always cheered them up. They always thought of eating chocolate (whether it be with fruit or by itself) and watching movies as a treat. And it was! Though, on occasion, it might also have been a way to get Chara out of the way when _he_ had hit the bottle too hard. Considering the impressive collection of wines and liquor in _his_ room, you’re surprised the man hadn’t gotten drunk more often. So, emergency movie and chocolate nights kept Chara busy while you dealt with a drunkard.

There were lots of experiments with foods too. You made it into a game for Chara. Just what could work best with their favorite sugary treat?

Chara takes a large bite out of their chocolate bar but refuses to look at you. Sans glances at Chara, then over at Papyrus where he’s standing by the door. He seems to be thinking about something, his eyelights brightening as he drums his fingers on his leg.

“PAPYRUS. I SEE THAT YOU DECIDED TO STEAL AWAY THE LARGER HUMAN FOR YOURSELF.” You glance at Papyrus, who is failing to appear calm. Chara takes a rough bite out of their chocolate bar. “WELL, IF YOU WERE PLANNING ON TAKING CHARA, YOU’RE TOO LATE! I HAVE ALREADY CAPTURED THEM!”

Chara looks startled as Sans wraps his arms around them and pulls them closer. The chocolate bar remains firmly in their hands.

“well, shoot. and here i was setting up a whole puzzle so i could capture chara when they came after us.” Papyrus lets out a dramatic sigh and shrugs his shoulders. “but you beat me to it.”

Chara looks up at you, trapped behind Sans’ arms with wide, guilty eyes. You resist the urge to smile, instead matching Papyrus’ sigh with your own. “Well darn. My master plan to ditch Papyrus and grab Chara has been defeated.”

Pushing their ways past thick skeletal arms, Chara leans towards you. “B-but, Bro, you said we were sticking around!”

Your smile softens, and you lean down to wrap Chara in a tight hug. “Exactly, kiddo. But you know I would never leave you behind, right?”

They say nothing, though their grip on you tightens.

“Right?”

“… Yeah.”

“Great!” You quickly grab Chara up and blow air into their revealed stomach. The resulting ‘pfffbbbtt’ noise sets Sans and Papyrus off into a fit of giggles.

“B-bro! S-stop!” They say, laughing despite themselves.

You let them down, but not before planting a sloppy kiss on their forehead. “Don’t cause too much trouble for Sans, okay?”

“sans, don’t cause too much trouble for chara, okay?”

“Get out!” “LEAVE AT ONCE, YOU TWO!”

* * *

Papyrus holds your hand in his hoodie pocket. ‘for warmth’, he says. You laugh at that, cheekily telling him he only needed to ask to hold your hand. You still do it. It’s nice to be on the receiving end of a move like that for once.

As you get closer to Muffet’s, you hear Papyrus let out a sigh. You look at him and he gives you an apologetic shrug. “don’t get me wrong, muffet’s is the best joint in snowdin,” he says. “it’s also the only joint in town.”

“Hey, that’s a great sign though! Means there could be no better place in town,” you say, putting on a wide grin.

“heh. that may be true, but there’s this place near the capital that i’d like to take you – i’ve done some backstage work for the shows there. it’s more the type of place you’d go on a date,” he says, and he still sounds like he’s apologizing. “once we’ve got your stuff figured out better, we can check it out.”

You squeeze his fingers, nudging him with your shoulder. “Sounds like a date to me, bone boy.” He shoots you a soft smile, and you can’t help but give him a goofy one back.

Papyrus holds the door open for you again once you arrive at the restaurant. Muffet waves a couple of hands at you both as you enter. “Dearies, hello! Grab a booth, and I’ll be there in just a moment.” You manage not to cringe too much when she comes over and gives the pair of you hugs.

The skeleton seems to be more comfortable now that he’s in his element. He’s got you chuckling over his stories by the time your food arrives, and hearing you laugh has him grinning. While you’re eating he tones down the jokes, and you take your chance to tell your own stories.

“-and that’s how I drove across the border in time for Chara’s birthday.” You go quiet, eyes roaming over Papyrus’ face. He seems to be hesitant about something. Shit. He’s probably regretting this entire date. Was it something you said? Maybe talking so much about your car wasn’t the greatest choice…

“hey bud, what’s wrong?” Papyrus is looking at you, his eye sockets creased with worry. “if you’d rather not talk about stuff, i’ve got some great stories about the time sans threw an emergency pillow party for alphys.”

Oh god, he was just worried about you setting yourself off. Shoot. You try to plaster a smile on your face, but it doesn’t seem to soothe him. “No, no, it’s alright. I was just lost in my own thoughts.”

"hey. same thing here." He smiles slyly. "though, it was your eyes i was getting lost in."

You take a bite out of your ‘spideroni’ and shake your head in amusement. “I’ve heard that one a dozen times. Surely an experienced skeleton like yourself has some other lines for me?” You’re still blushing despite your words.

He puts down his fork and waggles his eyebrows. “well, has anyone ever told you how great your smile is?”

You smirk. “Of course.”

“well, i love it. it’s like a little glimpse at the skeleton inside you every time.”

That sets you off, and after a second you’re pounding your chest to stop your choking. Then, as the coughing starts to ease a bit, you take a long gulp of your drink. You clear your throat and start to feel better.

Papyrus smirks as you catch your breath, reaching over to pat your hand. “take your time, honey. didn’t mean to make you choke already.”

You kick his feet under the table. “‘Honey’?”

He winks at you and lightly kicks you back. “careful, not everyone might like it as rough as you do. is there a problem with that, though? i thought it fit. you’re a sweet guy.”

You are furiously blushing now, covering your face in a fake yawn, you glance around the bakery. The only one looking at your booth is Muffet, and she’s smirking at you. Oh god. “Nah, it’s fine. Bad jokes and corny pickup lines though, that could be a deal breaker.”

“well that’s a bust, then.” Papyrus winks at you again just as you face him. “but i see you didn’t say anything about liking it rough.”

You cover your face unable to look at him. “Oh my god.”

“yes? i’m right here.”

“ _Paps._ ”

He nudges your foot with his shoe, smiling softly at you. “still here, hun.”

Embarrassed and determined to earn some payback, you put your hands down and lean forward over your practically empty plate. “I know about monsters under beds, but would you know what a monster is like _in_ one?” As you deliver your own cheesy line, you foot up the inside of his leg before pulling away and sitting back.

Papyrus fidgets a little in his seat, suddenly unable to look you in the eyes. He’s got a light blush on his face as he chuckles nervously. He rubs his neck, looking at you out of the corner of his eye socket before sliding out of the booth and offering you a hand. “c’mon, let’s get out of here so i can show you.”

 _Oh_. "Ah, but, w-what about the check?" you say, stumbling over the words as you take his hand and let him draw you to your feet.

Without a second of hesitation, he chucks a bag of gold at Muffet, who catches it in a free hand. “there, no need to worry. now, c’mon.” Your heart beats faster at his wanting tone, and the hint of urgency in the way he pulls you towards the door.

The chill outside feels good against your flushed face. Papyrus leads you around the side of the bakery and once and once you're away from Snowdin's main road he stops. "now, about that question."

He turns, and as you reach up a hand to cup his cheek he leans forward to press his, well, teeth, against your lips. You stay like that for a moment as you slide a hand across across the side of his skull, thumb brushing his cheekbone. The hinge of his jaw shifts under your palm, and something warm and soft brushes your lips.

Startled, you pull back and open your eyes, greeted by the orange glow of Papyrus’ right eye. Coming from between his teeth is a tongue of the same shade, glowing faintly. You fucking knew it. Monster magic.

“hehe, didn’t mean to scare ya, bud. this, uh, good for ya?” he says, looking at you.

You can’t help but think of _other_ uses for that tongue, and suddenly your pants are feeling _way_ tighter than before. Just what else, exactly, can this bullshit skeleton magic _do_? You have half a mind to grill him on it right now, but you decide to go for some light teasing instead.

“Oh Paps, this is more than good. But keeping secrets from me?” you say, letting your hand drift down to the base of his skull, skimming over his cervical vertebrae. The way he shudders sends a thrill down your spine. “You naughty boy.”

He lets out a low growl as you lean forward to press another kiss to his mouth, this time expecting the warmth of his tongue on your lips. It’s not really wet, like it should be. You brush your own tongue against his, and he lets out a pleased hum. The hand that was on your cheek is now sliding through your messed up hair, pulling you closer as he explores your mouth.

You groan and his other hand curls around your hip, tips of his phalanges slipping under the waist of your jacket. He finds skin and drags his fingers slowly across, savoring the feel of you. Not wanting to miss out, you reach a hand beneath his hoodie. You settle a hand on his pelvis and feel a shiver when he moans into your mouth. His hand moves higher, shifting your jacket up just enough to let cold air hit your side. You shiver, pulling away by instinct.

Papyrus is looking down at you as you open your eyes, shifting your clothes back down. There’s a question in the still-shockingly expressive lines of his face.

“Sorry for the buzz kill,” you mumble, breathing a little heavy and removing your hand from under his hoodie. “But it’s, uh, cold out.”

“oh, shit, this really isn’t…”  The ring of orange fades and he blinks, his eye sockets darkening. He’s blushing a little, taking his hand off your neck. “shit, i didn’t really plan on boning you right next to muffet’s.”

You shoot a weak glare at him, though he seems to be regretting his choice of words as well. “Well, I’d hope not. No way I’m gonna be the first one undressed.”

Papyrus raises a brow, tugging your hand away from his hood and tangling his fingers with yours. “oh? and why should i reveal my ribs to you?”

Raising a brow in return, you slowly lick your lips. “Well, now that I think about it, I’m still hungry.”

Papyrus nuzzles your forehead, letting out another growl. “well aren’t you just full of surprises? but we just had dinner… plus, sans and chara are probably still awake.” He pulls back, and you can feel your face flushed red. “so how about we, uh, keep doing the 'date' thing, and see about dessert later?”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can you guess what my favorite sentence in this chapter was? 
> 
> Thanks to chronicdelusionist, for proving to me that dialogue can always be better. You da best!


	11. Never Gonna Let You Down

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [ Onadacora's Original Fic ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/5053684/chapters/11621461) \--- [Chronicdelusionist's Comics](http://onadacora.tumblr.com/tagged/underswap-wtmyh/chrono)

The forest outside of Snowdin is beautiful in the dark. You wouldn’t call it ‘night’, even though your phone clearly tells you it is. There aren’t any sunrises or sunsets down here, just a gradual shift from brightness to darkness and back. You wonder, briefly, if you’ll ever feel the sun on you again.

Whenever you catch the monsters speaking in wistful tones about the surface, they seem to dwell on the sun. You can relate. It’s the bright start to a brand new day, and even when it sets there’s beauty in its fall. Huh, how poetic of you.

Here in the Underground, even the temperature isn’t any different at night. The frigid air feels the same as always against your face. It reminds you that you really are deep within the earth, and despite the snow-covered trees, you begin to feel the press of tons of rock high above you. You take in a deep, pine-scented breath and force the sensation away.

You stand close to Papyrus’ side, your hand once again in his hoodie pocket. He squeezes your fingers as you say, “The view is stunning.”

Glancing down at you, his smirk turns lecherous. “the forest is nice too.”

You let out a groan, blushing despite yourself. “Hey, that was my line.”

“don’t let it get ya down, bud,” he says, still facing you. “i’ve had to pull out all the stops for you. believe me, i haven’t worked this hard in ages.”

"I feel so special," you say, rolling your eyes.

"you should. you are."

( _"Special? The only ‘special’ thing about you is being adopted. And since when has that mattered?”_ ) You look away, back out over the forest below. “Flatterer.”

“nah, just laying down the facts. what, don’t believe me? do i need to get sans out here to knock a little sense into ya?” Papyrus squeezes your hand, and you can feel him still watching you.

You let out a little laugh at the mental image of Sans stomping through the snow, outraged at the very idea of you feeling down on yourself. It helps. Turning back to Papyrus, he looks a little relieved. “Sorry,” you say. “Hard to break old habits.”

Over twenty years of being unwanted tends to make you believe it’s going to stay that way.

“so,” he says, drawing out the single syllable as a sign of changing the subject. You’re grateful for that. “i wanted to show you this place for its beauty, but looking at it now, i think you’ve taken its spot.”

You snort, leaning into him. “You sure? I mean, I do have all this skin covering the _real_ good stuff.”

“heh, so?” he says, his voice a murmur as he nuzzles your forehead. “it’s so soft and smooth. i can’t wait to get a taste.”

Your heart is pounding and you let out a shaky laugh. Why can’t you think of something to say? Papyrus seems to notice and relents, stepping forward to look you in the eyes. “i’m really not lying, hun. you’re gorgeous.”

“So are you.” You smile at him. “It’s just weird being on the receiving end, you know? Never really had that.”

“really? you’re not joking around?” he asks, surprised. A small part of you is flattered.

“Yeah, it’s true. Or if they did say it, they didn’t mean it.” You shrug, averting your eyes. “Not like I was any better.”

“i just thought, with chara it might’ve…” Papyrus trails off, but his implications are clear enough.

“Mattered? Please, I was fourteen, she was a year older and we were both hormonal.” You can’t help but laugh a little. “Tons of nights where we whispered sweet nothings into each other’s ears, but none of it was real. Probably never was.”

“well, guess i’ll just have to prove i’m your needle in the haystack then. am i living up to your romantic requirements?”

You look at Papyrus again and there’s something tender in his expression. Smiling you lean over to rest your head against his shoulder. “I suppose. Could really go for something to drink though. I’m feeling... Thirsty.”

He laughs as you lick your lips at him, his shoulder jerking under you. Still holding your hand, he nuzzles your forehead as he hugs you. He’s smiling down at you, and you feel a fluttering in your chest. “i feel like this is payback for nearly choking you at muffet’s.”

“I like flirting with you, Paps. I like making you laugh. Never really had someone try so hard for me, though,” you say, hold onto the back of his hoodie and burying your face in his chest. He gives off a comforting warmth against your exposed cheek, and his jacket has a faint musty smell of bones and pasta. It’s certainly not the weirdest thing you’ve smelled, but familiar and comforting.

“you can always flirt with me, hun. and i’ll always try to make you laugh. though, i think your moans might sound even better.”

You laugh, leaning bodily against him as you let the air out of your lungs. Before you can fire back, Papyrus leans down, brushing a toothy kiss against your jaw and down your neck. You shudder. He lets out a low hum next to your ear as you hold onto his hoodie a little tighter.

“well, well. what was that?” he asks, his raspy voice noticeably lower. He grazes the curve of your neck with his teeth again, forcing you to gasp and hold tighter.

“ _Paps_ ,” you say, and your voice comes out as a whine. “You keep that up, I will fuck you right into the snow.”

“as much as i’d like to get that promise, i think having my bones rattled somewhere you’ll be comfortable is a better idea.” Papyrus loosens his grip on you with some reluctance, resting his hand on your hip as you pull away enough to look at him.

“Whatever you say, bone boy.”

He brushes his mouth against your forehead in return before you’re out of reach. “that’s mister bone boy to you, hun.”

You pull away completely, not wanting to overwhelm yourself so soon. Papyrus lets you go without any complaint, watching you as you turn your back to him to look out over the forest again. Despite your silver tongue and roguish good looks, you feel nervous. It’s been so long since someone showed interest in you – and you mean you, not your body or pickup lines. Plus, how on earth do you fuck a skeleton? Sure, the fact that he could conjure a _magic tongue_ certainly explained how he’d help you, but what were you supposed to do to get him off? He certainly seemed to enjoy you touching his pelvis, so maybe it isn’t _too_ different.

You close your eyes, just letting the sounds of the forest surround you. Instead all that fills your ears is the sound of the wind and your own breathing, which soon turns into a sigh. You hear Papyrus take a few steps through the snow to stand at your side, following your line of sight.

“I guess I could just pretend all the animals are hibernating. It’s too cold for anything to be out anyway,” you say, mostly to yourself.

“sorry. we’ve, uh, got lots of sorta-real-but-not-quite replacements down here, but animals are not one of them,” Papyrus says. “unless you count the guard dogs.”

He gets a snort out of you, but you’re still a little sad. There are so many things on the surface you took for granted, and you’re just now realizing you might never see them again. “I wouldn’t call any of them _animals_ … I’m sure I’ll get used to all this.”

Papyrus puffs his cigarette one last time before tossing it into the snow. “you sure you want to stay down here?” He sounds casual, but when you look up at him his eye sockets look tired. He’s looking past you, and he seems worried. You hate seeing him worried.

“Papyrus, falling down that that hole is, bar none, one of the greatest things to ever happen to me. This past week… It’s been incredible,” you say, reaching out to touch his arm.

Papyrus looks down at your hand, then takes it in his own as he turns to face you. "that makes me happy, but i get the feeling that says more about your time up there than down here."

You shrug. “Sure, but it’s done now. I am happy here. With you, and Chara and Sans. If that means we never leave the Underground, then so be it.” You squeeze his fingers, giving him a reassuring smile.

Papyrus sighs, snaking a hand down your back. “well, i’m not gonna be the one to say no to you.”

“Good. Because I’m not letting you go,” you murmur, blushing at the admission.

Expression softening, he pulls you close and reaches down to gently kiss your face. “i want you to stay. i want you both to stay. maybe that's selfish, but things have been so good, and i just want it to stay like this, for once." Something in the desperation in his voice at the end makes your heart ache. You wonder what he means, and think that you're missing something important.

Your lips brush against his mouth and he makes a pleased hum, smooth fingers reaching up to caress your neck. Pushing a hand upward, underneath his hoodie, you run a hand along his lower ribs. Through his shirt you can feel the bones underneath, and once more you’re amazed at everything about him. His hoodie has substance, some sort of lean form, but under your touch he seems almost fragile as he shivers. You can't help but smile at his reaction, glad that he's enjoying your touch as much as you enjoy his.

You expect the warm touch of his tongue but it doesn't come. Instead Papyrus pulls away, looking up at you with something akin to hunger that makes a thrill run through you. "come home with me," he says, voice low.

Swallowing, you let out a breathy laugh and smirk. “Hey buddy, that’s my line again.”

“sorry, hot stuff. you can use it next time.” He bites your ear lightly, just enough to feel it and, _oh_ , does it feel good. “but i didn’t hear an answer.”

“Yes. Fuck, yes,” you say, words spilling out of you in a rush. You _know_ you’re going to be puzzling over the 'hows' later, but right now you want this to happen. You need this. “Take me home.”

* * *

You’re back at the house faster than you realize is possible. Along the way you somehow skip part of the town, but at the moment you just want to get to the house. Papyrus opens the door as quietly as he can, and both of you share a look when you see that Chara and Sans are passed out on the couch _again_. Good.

Papyrus has a tight grip on your hand as he leads you up the stairs, towards the one room you have yet to see. You’re curious, in the very small part of your mind that isn't focused on the end goal. What is his room like? You don’t even see the key as he unlocks the door, and it’s pitch black when you enter. Closing the door, he tells you to wait there as you hear him maneuver through the room and then flick on a dim light.

His room… honestly reminds you of your old room back on the surface. There’s a bit of extra trash lying around, and you definitely don’t have a random set of weights in there, but other than that it could be the same place. Even his bed looks the same, with wrinkly sheets and a pillow absentmindedly tossed onto it. The skeleton gives you a little shrug after you survey the room and look at him.

“my humble abode. emphasis on humble,” he says.

“Eh, I’ve seen worse. Besides, I ain’t here for the bedroom.’ You unzip your jacket as you cross the room, draping it over the weights.

Papyrus watches as you stride over to the bed and lounge there. You give your best ‘come hither’ look toward him. “Well? Are you getting cold feet at such a gorgeous view or what?” you say, ignoring how your voice has jumped up an octave.

You don’t even hear him move and suddenly he’s standing above you, hands stuffed in his hoodie and looking more than a little unsure. “wouldn’t know it. cold goes right through me,” he says, but the joke sounds a little forced.

You shake your head, smiling at the attempt anyway. “Well, I’m sure I’ve got something here that could warm you right up.”

He chuckles a little and seems to relax, easing his arms into a long stretch above his head. “i don’t know what I love more: your pickup lines or that look when you watch for my reaction.”

There’s that familiar flutter in your chest again, easing away your uncertainty as you grin up at him. “Oh, were my dashing good looks not enough?” you say, sitting up and reaching out a tentative hand to rest against his sternum.

Papyrus kneels down, taking your hand in his own and giving it a squeeze. “well, there’s your blushing, for starters. and -”

You reach up and tug him downwards, interrupting his compliments with a kiss on his jaw. You feel it move as he tries to keep talking, but the words never make it to the air as you run the tip of your tongue along the smooth surface of the bone. He groans softly, leaning further into you. When you pull away, there’s a faint glow of orange coming off his cheekbones. He suddenly falls forward, taking you down with him.

He's on his elbows, looking down at you and chuckling softly. You don’t hesitate to fall into a practiced motion, pulling his skull down for another kiss. One hand is trailing under the hem of your shirt, fingers running up your side before repeating down the center of your chest. Your shiver has nothing to do with the cold as he shifts your shirt further up and nips your lips with his teeth. Pausing a moment, he seems to consider something before he nudges your head aside and suddenly you’re feeling the warmth of his tongue on your neck.

You barely hold back a moan as his hand goes lower, the tips of his phalanges trailing over the tense muscles on your stomach. Instead of reaching down to your too-tight pants, he rubs a hand alongside your hips and strokes your skin.

“how can you be so soft?” he murmurs against your throat. “i just can’t get enough.”

“I can show you something that’s a little harder, if you’d like,” you say, arching under his touch, willing it lower.

“heh. show me where.”

Covering his hand with your own, you guide it down to the obvious bulge begging for attention. You whine as he pulls away from your neck, but as you open your eyes to look at him you can’t help but feel your pulse speed up even more. He’s looking at you like something precious, with a hint of lust. You can’t even bring yourself to feel self-conscious about how you’re just _falling apart_ as he strokes your length. You want to reciprocate, but it feels so good.

You breath is speeding up as he pushes himself back, maintaining eye contact as he reaches to unbuckle your belt. You’re about ready to shove him off and rip your pants off yourself when -

“PAPS?”

You both freeze, and your stomach gives a lurch. The orange in Papyrus’ right eye flickers when your eyes meet.

“maybe if we just stay quiet, he’ll go back to sleep,” Papyrus mutters.

You groan, shaking your head. “If one is up, then-”

“Bro?!”

The fear in Chara’s voice makes your blood run cold, any remaining desire vanishing in an instant. Papyrus’ hands are off of you and you’re hastily doing up your belt, hurrying to the door with the skeleton at your heels.

“Chara, what’s wrong?” you call out the second you’re out, practically jumping down the stairs to the den.

“bro, is everything okay?” Papyrus asks, and you feel a surge of affection at the concern in his voice.

Sans is standing by the foot of the stairs, glancing between the two of you and where Chara is sitting on the couch, tears shining in their eyes. He looks confused and uncertain, wringing his hands and failing to find his voice. The short skeleton moves aside as you brush past him.

Chara makes a choked sound as you climb onto the couch next to them, pulling them into your arms and stroking their hair. "Shh, I'm right here, bucko. Everything is okay." you murmur, rocking the two of you back and forth.

“what happened?” Papyrus asks, and it sounds like he’s talking to Sans.

“I- I’m not sure,” Sans says, his voice quiet. “They woke up and seemed befuddled, then starting asking for him.”

Chara is trembling in your arms.

“Talk to me, bucko. Are you okay?” you ask, fighting to keep fear out of your own voice.

“Nightmare,” they mumble into your chest. “I thought… I couldn’t find you, you weren’t here. And then I woke up and you _still_ weren’t here. I thought you were gone.”

“I didn’t leave. See? I’m right here.”

“Where were you?”

A surge of guilt rises in your chest, even though you know you didn’t do anything wrong. “Papyrus and I didn’t want to wake you. We were in his room.”

“Please don’t leave.” Chara begs, fingers digging into your clothes.

You rub soothing circles into their back, nodding against their cheek. "Of course, Chara. Of course I'll stay with you."

As you speak you look up and meet Papyrus' gaze. You worry he'll be upset, but he just looks concerned. He comes up next to you and pats the top of Chara's head, placing his other hand on your back. It's a small gesture, but you can feel him supporting you. It's a new feeling, one that fills you with warmth.

"sorry we scared you, kiddo. i know what it's like to wake up and feel confused like that."

Chara eases away from your chest, tilting their head to look up at Papyrus. They sniffle loudly and rub their nose. "That happens to you? You wake up and everything is different?"

"sure it does," he says, and you think you hear a little bit of something sad in his voice. His smile seems forced and stiff. "but you'll be okay, kiddo. you're in a good place this time."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not a tease. I swear.
> 
> Chronicdelusionist is so cool. Check out their sweet art!


	12. Put some Soul into It

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [ Onadacora's Original Fic ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/5053684/chapters/11621461) \--- [Chronicdelusionist's Comics](http://onadacora.tumblr.com/tagged/underswap-wtmyh/chrono)

“PAPYRUS, NO MORE _BONE_ DOGGLING! TIME TO GET UP!”

Papyrus jerks awake, Sans’ booming voice and the pounding on his door jolting him out of sleep. An overwhelming sense of déjà vu fills him with dread. How many times has he heard Sans say those words? A new recurring nightmare haunts the fringes of his consciousness, the feeling of losing you a sharp ache in his chest.

Why had he even dared hope? He’d let his guard down, he let himself get attached, and for what? It all to be torn away from him. But _why_? Why now? Papyrus grips his head, biting back a growl of anger.

Damn it, damn it, fuck NO!

Shaking and disoriented, he stumbles out of bed towards his makeshift light, bumping against his weights in the dark. His hand fumbles with the lamp, and the familiar sight of his messy room does little to ease his fears.

It must have reset. He’s positive. Sans always wakes him up in the exact same way, the day before Chara emerges from the Ruins. He has to wait a day to see if you’ll be there again, and all at once he’s not sure he can bear the answer.

Feeling the surge of magic bubbling throughout his body, throughout his Soul, the lamp begins to glow with an orange haze. With a gesture it lifts into the air, and as he turns, snarling, to fling it across the room, he sees something that makes him freeze in place.

Your jacket is still draped across the weights.

The light drops back onto the top of his dresser with a clatter, relief surging through him as the magic drains away. For a moment he almost collapses. His knees feel so weak. He picks up your jacket and staggers over to the edge of his bed, hands trembling as he stares down at it. A short, hysterical laugh escapes him and then he curls in on himself, burying his face in the fabric clutched tight in his fingers.

Everything is great. _Everything is great._

You are his shining light, and for the moment he can see past his nightmares again.

* * *

You’re in the kitchen with Chara, groggily spooning cereal into your mouth when you feel Papyrus wrap his arms around you from behind and hug you. He presses his skull into the crook of your neck, and you think you hear him let out a sigh. Chara rolls their eyes from across the table and sticks out their tongue.

You clear your throat, feeling your cheeks warm despite yourself. “Good morning, lazy bones,” You say, reaching up to touch his arms.

“morning,” Papyrus answers, tone casual. He relaxes his hold on you a little bit, lifting his head and resting his chin on your shoulder. You can smell the hint of smoke when he speaks. “sans and i have sentry duty today. did you two want to come?”

“I promised Chara I’d hang with them today,” You tell him, and apology in your voice. “We’re stopping by the market before lunch. You want anything?”

“nah, hun, i’m good.” Papyrus unwinds his arms from around you, giving your shoulders an affectionate squeeze.

Chara looks over at the two of you, eyes narrowing. “Eww, bro,” They say, accusingly. “Are you two dating?”

A strangled noise escapes your throat as you drop your spoon into your bowl. Papyrus is standing beside you now, and the two of you share a look. Are you? If not for the interruption, the pair of you definitely would have slept together last night. But, did he even mean for it to go further?

You’re sure you’re beet red at this point, unsure of what to say. Papyrus gives you a little smirk, then turns to Chara just as they open their mouth again, pointing to a drawing stuck on the refrigerator. “Because I thought you needed _tulips_ for kissing.”

You glance back, where said-six-year-old’s drawing of a tulip meets your gaze. Papyrus stares at them as if they grown a second head while you let out a helpless laugh. “kiddo, why?” He asks. “even sans doesn’t start this early.”

“Aww, Paps. Don’t let them _rattle your bones_ so soon.” It rises unbidden from you, and it’s worth the look of betrayal on Papyrus face. Chara giggles as Papyrus peers down at you.

“i’m surrounded by traitors. and you know what we do to traitors down here?”

You shrug, unsure where he’s going with this. Chara seems oddly un-amused. “What?”

Papyrus suddenly grins as you hear Sans shout “WE CAPTURE THEM!” All you see is a blue blur before you’re suddenly being carried around the house. How is such a short skeleton so strong? You can hear Chara and Papyrus laughing from the kitchen as you helplessly struggle against the skeleton beneath you. As Sans runs back through the kitchen, Papyrus casually leans over and plucks you off his shoulders, plopping you back into your seat as Sans runs out of the kitchen once more.

“looks like you, heh, served your time.” Beneath the teasing, you can see the affection in Papyrus’ face. “and let's see... if i remember my human movies right, i think it's time for my savior's kiss?”

Chara makes a loud gagging noise as Papyrus leans over and kisses your cheek. “Eugh, kissing is _gross._ And what’d he save you from?”

“I dunno, but he did it.” You turn and give the skeleton a quick peck on the lips. “I’m just thanking him.”

“i’m not saying no.”

“ _Stooooop_ ,” Chara whines. “Or I’ll stop being alright with this.”

You nudge Papyrus away with a laugh, his fingers trailing across your shoulder before he leans away. You can't help but notice that he keeps touching you, and he seems hesitant to leave the kitchen. But right now your focus is on Chara, who is hanging their head dramatically over the back of the chair, making choking noises.

"So you _are_ okay with it, bucko?” You ask. Maybe you should have talked to Chara about this earlier… But everything had moved so quickly.

Chara rights themselves, glancing at Papyrus. He's looking a little awkward, waiting for the verdict with his hands shoved in his pockets. They look back down at their breakfast, picking their spoon back up to push their oatmeal around the bowl. "Yeah," They say in a quiet voice, looking a little embarrassed. "Papyrus is cool."

You and Papyrus share a look, and he seems about to say something when Sans’ loud voice echoes through the house.

“PAPYRUS! WE NEED TO GO OR WE’RE GOING TO BE LATE!”

Papyrus sighs and gives you another quick kiss on the cheek. You start laughing as he leans in to do the same to Chara. “c’mon, one for you too, kiddo.”

Chara protests and tries to duck away, but as Papyrus ruffles their hair on the way out the door you see the pleased expression on Chara’s face. They look up, see you smiling, then try to frown and go back to eating breakfast. “You two are too lovey dovey.” They mumble, unable to keep frowning as you chuckle at them.

Warmth spreads throughout your chest, and you wonder when this all started feeling so normal. Everything feels perfect.

* * *

Papyrus has his head resting against one pole of his sentry station, watching the few snowflakes twirl through the air on the way to the ground. He just woke from a pleasant nap, sometime around midday according to his phone. He thinks about texting you, but decides not to. Chara tends to hang onto your phone most of the time, and that’s not a conversation he’d like to have just yet.

Leaving the house that morning was difficult, but he didn’t want to worry you and Sans. He must have put on a convincing act, because neither of you noticed anything was wrong. Though, after his conversation with you and Chara, it wasn’t much of an act anymore. Seeing you, reassuring himself that nothing had been reset… it all helped.

He’s still second guessing himself. Letting himself get wrapped up in you must be a huge mistake, but he can’t help himself. Everything with you is new, and as scared as he is, he feels rejuvenated. Even Chara is different. They’re happier, more playful.

Maybe things really _can_ be good this time. That tiny voice – insane voice, really – keeps telling him to hope for it, and he can’t help but wish it now and again.

The crunch of familiar footsteps through the snow snaps Papyrus out of his thoughts. Looking up, he sees Sans coming his way. So much for his hope for another nap. Papyrus sits up a little as his brother approaches, hands hiding a cigarette in his pockets.

“‘sup, bro?”

Sans huffs out a long-suffering sigh, shaking his head. “I SEE YOU ARE HERE LAZING ABOUT, AS USUAL, BROTHER. WE CANNOT AFFORD TO LET OUR GUARD DOWN. THERE IS STILL THE CHANCE THAT SOME OTHER, MORE VIOLENT HUMAN MAY REACH THE UNDERGROUND! WE MUST BE PREPARED!”

“you know it.”

“OF COURSE I KNOW IT! AFTER ALL, A _VIOLENT_ HUMAN MEANS ALPHYS WON’T HAVE ANY REASON TO QUESTION ME…” Sans grimaces as his eye lights dim. “PAPYRUS, I CAN’T KEEP LYING TO ALPHYS FOREVER. EVEN IF I COULD, SHE’S GOING TO STOP BY SOMETIME.”

If only she never would. Though, Papyrus suspected that is Sans knew the truth about _why_ Alphys and Toriel wanted humans, he wouldn’t be so keen on catching them. Sans would never stand for _anyone’s_ death, no matter how noble the cause. Papyrus just doesn’t have it in him to tell him the truth.

“well, when she does, we’ll just have to be ready to talk to her. i don’t think the humans are leaving anytime soon.”

Sans lets out another sigh, looking discouraged. After a moment, he leans his elbows on the counter of the sentry station and wags his eyebrows knowingly at him. Papyrus suddenly feels unsure of himself. “SPEAKING OF HUMANS… LEARN ANYTHING NEW ABOUT THEM LAST NIGHT?”

“whatcha talkin’ about, bro?” Papyrus lets out a shaky laugh.

“OH, YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT I MEAN, PAPYRUS.” Sans grin widens as his eyes sparkle. “A DATE ALL ALONE, AND THEN _SNEAKING_ BACK INTO YOUR ROOM. I BET THE PAIR OF YOU WERE -”

Papyrus’ eyes widen as he leans forward. He knows he’s blushing, but he can’t help it. “wh-what date? what makes you think that?”

Sans’ expression is positively triumphant. “MWEH HEHE! I KNOW YOU, BROTHER, AND I KNOW THE WAY YOU KEEP LOOKING AT HIM! YOU LOOOOVE HIM!”

Papyrus buries his face in his hood as Sans cackles, trying his best to ignore how badly he’s blushing. “I WAS WORRIED YOU WOULDN’T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT, TOO. IT’S… IT’S NICE TO SEE YOU HAPPY.”

“aww. bro.” Papyrus risks peeking out at his brother, who’s ecstatic grin has softened to an affectionate smile.

“I’D CALL IT HEARTWARMING -”

“sans, please.”

“BUT I DON’T HAVE ONE!”

“ _sans._ ”

“YES, PAPS?”

“now that you know, you have to take chara out so we can get some alone time.”

Sans’ frowns, though the hint of a smile remains. “AN EXCUSE FOR _BONE_ DOGGLING! BUT THE _SANSATIONAL_ SANS IS NOTHING IF NOT SUPPORTIVE. AND COOL.”

“you’re the best, bro.”

“OH, I KNOW. BUT YOUR HUMAN MIGHT THINK OTHERWISE.”

“eh?’

“AFTER ALL, YOU’RE THEIR VERTA- _BAE_!”

Before Papyrus can head off an impromptu-comedy session, Sans’ phone starts to ring. The short skeleton fishes his hand into a concealed pocket in his clothes and retrieves it. Papyrus raises an eyebrow as Sans’ eye lights brighten.

“OH, IT’S THE HUMANS!” He pushes a button, holding the phone up to his skull

Papyrus can hear the other end of the conversation clearly, because Chara is shouting. Sans’ eye sockets go completely dark and if he had flesh and blood his face would have drained of color. “Sans you have to help-!”

Sans nearly drops the phone as he pulls it away from his head, panicked as he stares at the screen. The call disconnected.

“sans -”

Papyrus is pushing himself over the counter, reaching for his brother’s arm. Nervous energy buzzes through his bones, fear humming through his bones. Sans tries to call the humans back, but it rings until it goes to voicemail.

Clenching his jaw, Papyrus tumbles out of his sentry station, Sans giving him a hand. “I THINK A SHORTCUT WOULD BE REALLY GOOD RIGHT NOW, PAP.”

* * *

You and Chara are returning home from getting groceries for the next few days. Your hands are full and even Chara is carrying a few bags. With no foreseeable end to your stay with the skeleton brothers in sight, you’re feeling encouraged to make good on your promise to cook for everyone. Aside from pasta sauce and everything necessary for burgers, the kitchen is lacking in essentials. It’s also lacking in snacks, and you’ve made it a point to remedy that.

A pair of young monsters darts past you, shouting to each other and laughing. As you start to wonder what’s going on, you see most of Chara’s new friends gather around the house. At their center is a short lizard-ish woman – shorter than you, maybe even shorter than Sans – with bright yellow scales. A pair of kids are holding on to her biceps as she lifts them, a toothy grin taking up most of her face.

“C’mon you little punks, I can lift all of you at once!” She shouts, laughing.

Two more kids seize hold of her peacoat jacket and she flexes her arms, lifting them into the air. Who could this be, and why is she in front of the house? Papyrus and Sans never mentioned any other friends, except… Oh shit.

You halt in your tracks, but it’s too late. The woman and the children have caught sight of you and Chara. The kids call out for Chara to come play, and in stark contrast the woman’s face begins to twist into a grimace. You drop your bags and snatch Chara’s arm, pulling them beside you before they can step further.

“Bro-?”

“What the hell is THIS?” The woman bellows, and all at once the children fall silent. She shakes off the ones clinging to her arms, pushing her way past them and towards the two of you. You start backing away, keeping yourself between her and Chara. “Humans, in Snowdin?”

The kids scatter at the pure fury in her voice, and a few of them cast worried glances your way. You don’t expect any of their families to be much help. Of course this would happen when Papyrus and Sans are away!

“Damnit! I should never have believed Sans. Bad eyesight my ass!” She holds out her hand and a glowing, pale yellow axe appears against her palm. What the hell, how’d she do that?

“We’re Sans’ friends!” Chara tries to circle around you, and a shiver of fear trails up your spine as you see the telltale red glow of their Soul in front of their chest.

“No!” You shout, pulling Chara back behind you. This isn’t like ‘fighting’ Sans. This woman – Alphys, it has to be – is glaring at you with the intent to kill.

“We don’t have to fight!” Chara insists, yanking on the back of your jacket.

Alphys sneers, her one amber eye narrowing. “I wouldn’t call it a fight. We only need one more Soul, but I’m sure Queen Toriel won’t mind a spare.” She points the head of her axe at you. “Humans! with your Souls, our Queen will finally free us from this prison! Your lives are all that stand between us and freedom! Everyone’s been waiting their whole lives for this chance!”

She really does intend to kill you with her kickass axe. This is the woman Sans raves about? Someone whose true purpose is to kill humans? There’s no way Sans knew about this. He said he just needed to capture you for her. You take another step backward, one hand still gripped like a vice around Chara’s wrist.

“Now, human! With the aid of the brilliant royal scientist, let’s end this right here, right now!” Alphys steps forward into a fighting stance, and you feel something stir in your chest.

Ever since seeing Chara’s Soul, you wondered if yours would look the same. Now you know the answer. It doesn’t. It’s green, but not nearly as bright. It almost reminds you of those old wine bottles in the cupboard (part of you is in hysterics, you can practically see _his_ face). Your Soul is… fragmented. Little fractures run through it, not quite down the center. You recoil, but you can’t step away, only lean back. It follows you anyway, leashed intangibly to your chest. A faint green aura projects in front of it.

Alphys seems to hesitate at the sight of it, just for a moment. Then, with a snarl, she slashes her axe down. “One’s good enough! We won’t need a spare anyway.”

“You’ll never touch them!” Releasing Chara, you throw your arms out wide, glaring as anger pounds in your chest. Maybe it’s the blood rushing in your ears, but it seems like the wind is howling. Where’s the kindness in killing a child?

“Well, even if you’re already green… Let’s see how Undyne’s tool works!” With that worrisome statement, Alphys pulls out a tiny device and clicks it at you.

You feel a rush, and that small aura expands to surround both you and Chara. Your Soul is glowing brighter now. You barely hold back a scream as a second axe flies at you – only for it to bounce harmlessly off the glow - a barrier. You can’t move, barely breathing as axe after axe is flung at you. Each time, it bounces off the green bubble covering both you and Chara. Alphys seems more agitated with each deflection.

“EURGH! Let’s see how you fight without your little shield!” Alphys roars, another round of axes flying toward you.

There’s a flash of yellow light and your shield is gone. You raise your hands in a futile attempt to protect yourself, when a blast of energy knocks away the blade that was coming right at you. Your cracked Soul has turned yellow, reoriented so the tip of the heart shape is pointing away from you. Before you can fully absorb this new state of affairs, Chara is tugging you away and you hear Alphys’ laughter.

“Perfect! Let’s see what else you can do!”

You run.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the late chapter. I had some personal things to take care of last Thursday and lost my groove for a bit. But I hope you enjoy the chapter!
> 
> Did you know chronicdelusionist has been making art for the these chapters? Check out the comics link above for their work!


	13. Alphys

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [ Onadacora's Original Fic ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/5053684/chapters/11621461) \--- [Chronicdelusionist's Comics](http://onadacora.tumblr.com/tagged/underswap-wtmyh/chrono)

If asked what you’d be doing this afternoon, shooting down magical axes conjured by the captain of the royal guard using your own Soul while running backwards with your child would not be in your top ten responses. As it is, you don’t have time to consider the absurdity of your situation as the adrenaline and terror coursing through your veins keeps you from stumbling to your – and Chara’s – death.

You have no idea why your Soul is reacting to Alphys’ magic like this, but you aren’t in a position to question it. All you can do is try to keep on top of her rapid assault. Chara stays behind you without question, tugging your coat in an attempt to move faster.

“Sans, you have to help-! No, bro, the phone!”

The axes stop, but you can’t even pause to open your mouth before what is very clearly an intense electrical charge gathers in front of Alphys. You don’t hesitate to throw an arm back and grab Chara before diving to the side as a massive blast of lightning scorches the ground. Your phone tumbles from their hands into the snow. You have no idea where to even begin looking for it, but you’re more worried about the lizard with the lightning. Alphys has you turned around now, with her standing between you and the rest of Snowdin. You don’t even consider running by Alphys. Even if you and Chara somehow dodged her, you’d also need to run backwards through Snowdin toward the forest. You can only hope Papyrus stops by Muffet’s for an early lunch.

Alphys just sneers as she plants her axe in the ground, and you get the feeling that she’s toying with you. “Do you really think your lives are worth more than the freedom of every monster?  You’d leave us here to rot forever?!”

“Of course not!” You shout. Chara yanks on your jacket, almost making you stumble back as they drag you. Papyrus had told you Waterfall lay ahead. It’s your only hope.

Alphys growls, and you freeze in place as your soul shifts back to dark green. You hear Chara fall as lightning flies at you. You barely bring up your warded arm in time to block the first blast, wincing at the tingling sensation left in your hand. It was a full-on barrier before, so whatever Alphys’ machine did must be fading somehow. Just your luck. You turn in time to block another blast, and another. Chara crawls over and pulls themselves up with your leg.

“STOP BLOCKING!” Alphys roars, and you feel your hair standing on end. You can’t see the electricity anywhere.

You look up in time to see the lightning strike you, plunging down and knocking Chara back. Pain sears through your body as you let out a choked cry, your entire body convulsing as your soul shakes. It flashes yellow once more, and you can move again.

“Bro!” Chara scrambles to their feet, dashing back to you as try to focus on Alphys again. Horror strikes you – what if they try to run in front of you toward the captain?

“No! Run, Chara!” You can’t turn your head to face them, too focused on firing axes away, but you can only hope they listen. It might just delay the inevitable, but better they have a chance to live, right? A harsh tug on your jacket, pulling you onto your back in time to dodge another lightning bolt answers your question. Some small selfish part of you is glad they didn’t leave you.

“Alphys, just wait! Can’t we talk this out?” you plead, rolling aside with Chara to avoid another axe, its blade resting in the snow beside you before it vanishes.

“Say whatever you like! I’M here for your souls!” she snarls, pointed teeth flashing. “Don’t you get it? Monsterkind will be free! You should be happy to be a part of something so great.”

“And that freedom is worth the life of a child?!” you shout, blasting at her in fury. Chara is shouting something at you, but you’re too enraged to hear.

Alphys easily deflects your blasts with her axe, sending another bolt of lightning to crash down upon you. Pain wracks your body as the electricity bursts through your soul. There aren’t any burns on your body, some soul-body disconnect that you’re thankful for, but the pain feels so real.

You’re having trouble standing.

Gulping for air, you glare at Alphys as you slowly step further and further back. She matches your pace, scoffing. She’s glaring down her snout at you; an impressive feat, considering she’s a foot shorter than you, but you still feel like dirt beneath her gaze. “We already have six souls. With one more, that barrier is nothing. Would you destroy the sacrifice of those six deaths? I’m here to finish what my predecessors started.”

She chucks the axe in her hands at you as if to punctuate her words, and you hastily fire multiple shots before it vanishes. They don’t hit the mark; You’re shaking too violently to properly aim, from pain and fear and anger. Chara’s hands curl tighter in your clothes. God, you just wanted them to be safe.

Something snaps in you at that thought, and suddenly you’re sending blast after blast at Alphys. Her eyes widen momentarily as she rapidly blocks your attacks. “You will _not_ hurt my child!” you scream.

Chara’s gasp makes you realize what you just said, but you don’t care right now. You just need to get the badass lizard to go away.

The bolts of magic from your soul are cut off with a slash of her axe as yellow fades to green once more. You brace yourself, but Alphys hesitates, looking down at the only part of Chara that’s visible: a pair of ratty sneakers and scrawny legs. A tired look passes over her face, but she clenches her hand tighter around the haft of an axe. “Right now, every monster in the Underground is counting on me!” she snaps.

Alphys raises her axe as multiple axes appear in place in front of you. You don’t think your little shield can deflect them all. You don’t know what to do. If Chara runs, she might just ignore you and go for them. And you can’t hold out forever. You try to think of something, anything to say, but your mind freezes as the axes spin in place, speeding up. Alphys face is cold; any pleasure she’s felt while fighting you has vanished.

“It’s over,” she says.

“Ohmanohmanohman, is that Alphys?!”

A familiar, high-pitched voice pierces through the air, and right as the axes descend on you a short, green body darts out in front of you. You recognize the armless monster kid that is a part of Chara’s group of friends. You don’t stop to think, diving forward as far as your Soul allows and pulling them under you, protecting them with your body from Alphys’ attack. If you’re going to die, you are not letting this kid’s dust fall too.

Your vision goes bright green for a moment, just as you brace yourself for the inevitable pain that will smash your Soul. You’re positive something heavy hits your back -

The hum of magic still fills the air, but nothing else strikes you. Instead, the crunching of Alphys’ axes slamming into something hard resounds. _What_? The kid runs away when you release them, but you can’t make out their words because you’re too busy staring up at the wall of bones between you and Alphys. Sans? Papyrus? Oh thank god, they’re here!

Through the gaps between the bones you see Alphys whirl around, another axe appearing in her hand. Sans is standing behind her, holding a very large femur like a club in his hands. Even from the distance, you can see the ring of blue burning in his left eye socket, magic licking his skull like flames.

“ _crap_ , are you alright?”

Relief floods through your body at the familiar, raspy voice at your side. Papyrus is there, _thank God_ , and he’s pulling you to him. You tuck yourself under one of his arms and then you’re both reaching out for Chara. He holds both of you close, and for a moment you think he might be shaking.

“shit,” he murmurs, and with a sickening lurch in the pit of your stomach you realize that the three of you are now behind Sans.

“Stand down, Sans! You know you can’t defeat me.” Alphys yells, and you hear the scrape of metal against bone.

“I, THE _SANSATIONAL_ SANS, DON’T HAVE TO DEFEAT YOU, ALPHYS! I ONLY NEED TO STOP YOU FROM HURTING MY FRIENDS!”

“Fucking hell, Sans! I KNEW you weren’t cut out for this!”

Papyrus pulls away, enough to look at you, pulling you to your feet. He’s looking over you, making sure you’re okay. You smile as brightly as you can at him, and his grin turns just a little more natural – until his gaze falls on your Soul. His eye sockets widen, and despite the pitched battle going on around you he’s hesitating. With one hand, he reaches towards your Soul and then stops, looking you in the eye.

“did she do this to you?” A flicker of orange glows in his right socket, and his raised hand clenches into a shaking fist. There’s disbelief in his voice, but the orange glow sends a chill down your spine.

“No, it… it was already cracked when I first saw it,” you say, and you swear a flicker of relief passes over Papyrus’ face.

He glances down at your Soul again, a look of pain on his face. Then he turns his back to you, positioning himself between the two of you and Sans and Alphys. “chill back here, ok? we’ll take care of this.”

Chara reaches out and takes your hand, and you give it a squeeze. You’re trembling, and weak, and you really want to just sleep, but you can’t get over how Papyrus looked at your Soul. You know it can’t be normal – fractured hearts never are. Looking down, you raise your free hand to touch the dark green heart hovering there, but it pulls back inside your chest before you have the chance.

“I can’t believe the two of you. You’re actually defending those humans? Don’t you know they’ll just stab you in the back one day?” Alphys demands.

Sans jerks his hands into the air, bones appearing in front of him just in time to deflect a flurry of axes. Papyrus stands at his brother’s side, hands shoved in his pockets. As far as you can tell, he’s not actually doing anything. But you get the feeling that if things started to shift into Alphys’ favor he’d intervene. You know he wouldn’t let anything happen to any of you if he could help it.

You realize that, apart from his apparent ninja teleporting skills, you have no idea what Papyrus is capable of.

She growls, her gaze snapping to Papyrus. “And what are you even doing here, Papyrus? Shouldn’t you be on one of your _smoke breaks_?”

“wowie, you’re right. sans doesn’t need my help anyway.” You blink, and there’s a cigarette between his teeth.

“PAPYRUS! YOU SAID YOU’D STOP THAT HORRIBLE HABIT! AND ALPHYS, PLEASE RECONSIDER! IF YOU JUST TOOK THE TIME TO TALK, WE COULD ALL BE FRIENDS!”

“Not everything’s like anime, Sans! That’s not how the world works!” Alphys’ lips curl and she slams the ground for emphasis.

Sans hasn’t attacked Alphys at all. He’s just holding her at bay, conjuring bones as barriers and stepping aside as axes fall around him. You wonder if she’ll tire out eventually.

Chara still hasn’t spoken. Right now there’s not much to say as you both serve as spectators to the confrontation between Sans and Alphys. Chara is grasping their heart pendant, and you give their hand another reassuring squeeze. It’ll be alright. It’s gotta.

“Sans, look at yourself! You’re fighting me off easily.” Alphys yells, lunging forward and slashing at him with an Axe in hand. “Why couldn’t you use this strength to capture the humans like I asked you to? What happened to working together and being FRIENDS?”

Sans catches her attack with his club-like femur, shoving her backwards. “WE ARE FRIENDS! YOU TRAINED ME, AND YOU’RE TEACHING ME HOW TO COOK! BUT THESE HUMANS ARE MY FRIENDS TOO. YOU’VE REFUSED TO TELL MY WHY WE EVEN NEED TO CAPTURE HUMANS, AND NOW I’M WORRIED. IT DIDN’T LOOK LIKE YOU WERE JUST _AXING_ THEM A QUESTION, ALPHYS. AND YOU COULD HAVE HURT THAT CHILD IF NOT FOR THE LARGE HUMAN!”

That makes Alphys hesitate, averting her eyes and lowering her axe. Her chest is heaving as she pants, and she looks past Sans to glare up at you. “My god, fuck it. You’re too innocent for this shitty world, Sans, so keep your crappy humans. But one of these days that attitude of yours is going to get you hurt.” She jabs a jabs a finger at the group of you, eye narrowing. “Don’t even bother getting to know the next human that fucks up and falls down here. They’re already DEAD.”

Alphys slams her axe into the ground and turns on her heel, storming off. After a moment, the axe flickers and disappears.

Once Alphys is out of sight, Sans’ bones fade and he lets out a loud, dramatic sigh. “WELL,” he says, turning around to face you and Chara. His eye lights are dim, and sweat dribbles down his skull. “THAT SURE WAS INTENSE! FOR A MOMENT, I THOUGHT SHE WOULDN’T _CHILL OUT_ . BUT THE _SANSATIONAL_ SANS PULLS THROUGH ONCE MORE!”

“you did great, bro.” Papyrus says, patting the back of Sans’ head. “you’re a real hero.”

“W-WELL OF COURSE!” Sans lets out a laugh. “HUMANS, ARE YOU BOTH ALRIGHT?”

You let out a shaky laugh, and as you go to take a step toward the brothers your legs buckle underneath you. Papyrus is at your side before you hit the ground, catching you with both arms as your vision swims.

“Bro!” “LARGE HUMAN!?” “bud, talk to me.”

You rest your forehead against Papyrus’ shoulder, squeezing your eyes shut to try and fight off the sudden dizziness. “This is... This is the part where one of us makes a joke. I, uh... Can't." You ramble, a little incoherently. "You gotta cover for me."

You hear a choked laugh from Papyrus as he stoops down and scoops you off your feet. A hysterical giggle escapes you as he shifts you in his arms like you weigh next to nothing. “let’s get you home.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, a chapter without a cliffhanger!
> 
> Chronicdelusionist's art sustains me, and it should sustain you too! Go check it out today!


	14. Dad

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [ Onadacora's Original Fic ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/5053684/chapters/11621461) \--- [Chronicdelusionist's Comics](http://onadacora.tumblr.com/tagged/underswap-wtmyh/chrono)

You wake up on the couch, wrapped in a soft blanket and propped up slightly by a mound of pillows. Slowly, your eyes blink open and you’re greeted by the familiar living room. Papyrus is sitting on the edge of the cushion, leaning back against the armrest and holding your hand in his lap. His head is facing the television, volume barely high enough to hear, and the smooth surface of his thumb strokes over the top of your hand. The motion is soothing, and almost distracts you from the bone-deep ache radiating from your chest throughout your body.

You’re in no rush to get up, so you let your eyes drift over Papyrus before he realizes you’re awake. Even though he’s distracted by the television, he doesn’t appear to be paying attention to what’s on the screen. He’s lost in thought. Shoulders hunched, his thumb continues to run over the sensitive skin of your hand.

You can’t help yourself when he gives your hand a squeeze. “So,” You say, “She seemed nice.”

Papyrus’ head snaps to you, and you can’t help but smile at the way all the tension eases out of his grin. “well, she’s got a bit of a hot temper. just tryin’ to keep warm in this cold.”

You let out a small huff of laughter, meeting his smile with your own before a thought strikes you. “Alphys… She isn’t coming back, right?”

Papyrus lets out a ragged sigh as he squeezes your fingers, shaking his head and giving you a weary smile. “nah, she’s serious about leaving you two alone. but if we hadn’t gotten back in time…”

“You did, though. Our hero.”

“well, then, your hero wishes for you to eat something before you pass out on him. trust me, nothing is better for the soul than some good food.” As Papyrus starts to ease off the couch you tighten your grip on his hand, stopping him.

“Where’s Chara?” you ask, realizing that your child is nowhere to be seen.

“they’re fine. not even a scratch on ‘em. they’re playing with sans upstairs,” he says, misinterpreting your worry.

You’re glad they are safe, but you’re more concerned about what they must be thinking. You lied to them for their entire life, and they find out the truth in the middle of a life-or-death fight? It’s not like you meant for that to happen, but Alphys had been threatening your child. No one was going to be doing that, not on your watch. Not ever again.

Still, you don’t know how to even broach the subject. Wild eyed, you look up at Papyrus. “I need to talk to Chara.”

Papyrus’ head tilts, giving you a worried look. “you need rest and food, hun,” he says, using his free hand to stroke your jaw. “they’re not going anywhere.”

“Paps,  _ please _ ,” you say, panic creeping into your voice. Pushing down the blanket, you sit up, ignoring Papyrus’ protests. Your body is still sore. “I, oh god, I fucked up. Paps, they  _ know _ .”

His eyes widen the slightest bit. “oh.  _ oh _ . but how?”

You sigh and sit up, rubbing your forehead. Looking away from Papyrus, you instead focus on the too quiet television. “I wasn’t thinking. I just  _ shouted _ it out while I was protecting them from Alphys.”

He squeezes your hand. “maybe it didn’t go how you wanted, but isn’t it better that they know now?” Papyrus pauses for a second, then leans in to brush his mouth against your cheek. “you want me to go get them?”

You should. They deserve to know everything, but… “Would they even want to talk?” You mumble, looking away.

“without a doubt.” You look up, and behind his smile he seems serious. “chara’s a great kid. they know you wanted them safe. you just need to tell them the truth. and you can.”

Despite yourself, you give him a weak smile. “Heh, well, how can I argue that?”

“don’t. just make sure to eat something after, alright?”

He waits until you nod before heading up the stairs. Watching him as he goes, you realize he was probably sitting with you the entire time you were unconscious. Once you’re sure Chara is okay, you want to make sure that Papyrus is alright too. The pair of you must have given him a real shock… The hand that he was just holding is now grasping your pendant, your thoughts turning to your cracked Soul. What did he see when he looked at it? Nothing good, that’s for sure… Man, you were really messed up.

The vaulted ceiling of the house makes it easy for you to hear Papyrus upstairs. “hey kiddo, why don’t you come downstairs? your…” he hesitates, and you can’t help but cringe. “he wants to talk to you.”

“But I’m busy with Sans,” Chara answers. You can just picture the innocent smile on their face, not quite reaching their eyes as they tighten their hands into fists. You try not to take it personally. It doesn’t quite work.

“NONSENSE! WE CAN SURELY CONTINUE OUR INTERGALACTIC ESCAPADES AFTER YOU CHECK UP ON THE LARGE HUMAN!” Sans says.

There are some muffled words you can’t make out.

“’course he’s worried about you. asking about you was practically the first thing out of his mouth.”

“FEAR NOT, SMALL HUMAN! THE  _ SANSATIONAL _ SANS IS FULLY SUPPORTING YOUR DECISIONS!”

Chara appears at the end of the landing, staring intently ahead of themselves as they make their way to the stairs. Papyrus shows up a moment later, lingering at the second-floor railing. Catching your eye, he points at himself and then Sans’ room, letting you know where’ he’ll be. You give him a smile and a thumbs up. He walks away and closes the door.

To your relief, Chara comes right up and sits next to you on the couch, facing you but looking past you. They’re playing with something in their hands. It’s your phone. Their smile tightens as they speak. “Papyrus fixed it. He said it just got wet from the snow, but it works now.” Their voice is quiet. “And we put all the groceries away while you slept. Nothing got ruined.”

“Thanks bucko,” you say, reaching out slowly to rub their shoulder. They glance at your hand then back behind you. “But, uh, I’m a bit more worried about you.”

Chara places the phone on the couch next to them before raising a hand to fiddle with their locket. “Why?” they mumble, and it takes all your willpower right there not to pull them tightly against you and not let go.

You could tell them you were worried about if they’d been hurt. Pretend you had never said a thing about being their father.  Instead, voice shaking, you say, “Because I know that hurt, to find out.”

They don’t respond, but their eyes are trained on yours now. Their smile shrinks a little and they give a sharp nod.

“I wanted to keep you safe, you know that, ri-”

“Then why did you lie?” Chara interrupts. Your jaw moves, but nothing comes out as their eyes stare deeply into yours. They quickly look away, rubbing their shoulder with their free hand. “You always said to tell the truth.”

You reach out and grab their hand, still holding onto your own pendant, and squeeze.

“I did. And I meant it. Chara I’m so sorry, please believe me,” you say, your voice cracking. You shift over, pulling them closer to you. “I never wanted to hurt you. I love you so much, and I just… I wanted you to be happy. I love you too much to see you hurt, and I was scared. Your…” You swallow, and it hurts. Your throat is so tight. “ _ He  _ wanted to care for you, and I didn’t know what I was doing, so I let him. I tried my best to keep you safe, to help, but I know that’s -”

Your words hitch in your throat as Chara flings their arms around your neck, burying their face in your chest. Pulling them into your lap, you curl over your child and press your forehead against theirs, sobbing. You feel small hands rubbing your back, comforting  _ you _ , and you only cry harder.

“Don’t cry. I’d rather have a dad that won’t threaten me,” Chara mumbles to your chest.

“Never,” you promise thickly, shaking your head for good measure. “I should have run away with you before he ever had the chance, Chara, this is all my fault.”

“Stop that, you big dummy. You said it was  _ his _ fault, and I believe you.”

You bark out a short laugh, still hiccupping through your tears. This kid is too good for you. How did this turn into you being the sobbing mess while the six-year-old does the comforting?

“We don’t, y’know, have to change this. If you don’t want to, I mean,” you say, sniffling. “I can still be your big bro, I-”

Chara hugs you tighter, cutting you off as they bury their face under your chin. “I’d rather have a dad than a brother.”

Your face scrunches up and you bite back a sob, happiness bubbling up and washing away all your fears and regrets. They still love you, despite everything! You pull them in tighter, overwhelmed by Chara’s forgiveness. You’d been telling yourself their entire life that the truth would shove Chara away. That it pulled you closer together is more than you could ever have hoped for.

“I’m gonna be the best dad you could wish for, I promise,” you tell them, reaching up over their head to try and wipe your nose. The most you do is smear snot along your shirt.

“You already are,” Chara says. You tilt your head to press a kiss into their hair.

“You always know just what to say, bucko. I love you, Chara.”

“I love you too, Dad.”

* * *

Peeking downstairs, Papyrus can’t help but wonder if this is what Chara needed all along. If  _ you _ are what they need to keep from resetting everything again.

He hopes so.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, this one's a shorty. But hopefully you all still enjoy!
> 
> A word of warning, I will be journeying back to college next week, so I'm not sure my somewhat consistent 4-5 day update cycle will continue. I'll try my best thought! I enjoy this too much not to.
> 
> Chronicdelusionist: awesome artist by day, sweet editor by mid-afternoon.


	15. Hearts and Souls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [ Onadacora's Original Fic ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/5053684/chapters/11621461) \--- [Chronicdelusionist's Comics](http://onadacora.tumblr.com/tagged/underswap-wtmyh/chrono)

You’re drinking a mug of hot chocolate (just three marshmallows, no more, no less), stomach filled from the large plate of macaroni and cheese you already demolished. Chara insisted on cooking dinner in your stead (thank God, because you would not be able to handle Sans’ burgers right now) and a simple mac and cheese is one of the few things they know. It was a little watery, but you occasionally make the same mistake. Papyrus is right about the food. The warm, melted chocolate flows straight to your Soul, easing away the pain.

You feel Papyrus watching you as you eat, and it seems like the tension eases off his face as you feel better. Even Sans stops throwing you worried glances. Can they sense a difference? Do monsters just see how healthy people are or something? Is it more magic bullshit?

The four of you are piled on the couch. You’re lying on Papyrus, legs draped over the tall armrest. He’s really comfortable, much to your surprise and delight. Chara is snuggled up against your chest, and they giggle when you occasionally tickle them. They smack your stomach and throw you an attempt at a glare, ruined by their toothy grin. Sans is on Papyrus’ other side, enraptured with the television.

Papyrus must have already talked to Sans about what was going on, because when Chara calls you ‘Dad’ in front of him he does a fantastic job of acting like there’s nothing out of the ordinary. When it happens, you glance at Papyrus and he just gives you a wink.

You drain the mug, about to lick away your milk moustache when you decide to have a little fun. Twisting around, you surprise Papyrus with a kiss. When you pull away, you can’t help but let out a guffaw of laughter – the chocolate milk has stained his upper jawbone, giving him his own moustache. He looks at you curiously before realizing what must have happened and chuckling along with you.

“i take it you’re feeling better then, if you’re up for japing me?” he asks, taking the empty mug from your hands.

“Much. Amazing what some comfort food can do for you,” you say.

“why do you think i go to muffet’s?” Papyrus nudges Chara in the shoulder with the mug, holding it over their lap. “hey bud, can you run this over to the sink? i’ve been taken hostage by your dad.”

Chara turns, immediately giggling as they see Papyrus’ face. “I see why you _moustache_ this of me.” they manage to say gravely, grabbing the mug and shimmying off the couch. Papyrus only rolls his eye sockets a little.

"SMALL HUMAN! YOU MUST TRY TO LEAVE THE _SANSATIONAL_ SANS SOME ROOM FOR WORDPLAY AS WELL!" Sans huffs, though you think it's all for show. He's still grinning, after all.

"guess you'll just have to _shave it_ for next time." Papyrus casually cuts in.

"NOT YOU TOO!" You're not a fan of the joke, but Sans' sheer dismay at the betrayal gets a snicker out of you.

Chara’s laugh follows them as they run off to the kitchen.

“Be careful, bucko! Don’t want to trip, do ya?” You catch yourself calling after them. You blink, then can’t help but chuckle.

“oh, well it’s too late for me. i’ve already fallen for you.”

Laughing, the two of you look over at Sans in expectation. Instead of annoyance, you can see a determined look on his face. Oh dear, what has Papyrus sparked?

“NO BONES ABOUT IT, THE PAIR OF YOU ARE INSUFFERABLE.” Sans gains a sly look. “I’M SO GLAD. I NEVER THOUGHT MY BABY BROTHER WOULD HAVE THE SPINE TO ASK SOMEONE OUT. LARGE HUMAN, DID YOU KNOW OF MY BROTHER’S PAST CRUSHES? WHY ONCE, AS A BABY BONES, HE-”

You break out in a deep belly laugh as Papyrus interrupts Sans, his face a mask of horror. “well, you’ve definitely proved yourself the punniest guy around, bro. you’re the greatest.” He says, quickly.

”OF COURSE I AM! I AM THE _SANSATIONAL_ SANS!”

“Wait one second,” You say, catching your breath. Papyrus is shaking his head at you. “You’re telling me you’re the older one, Sans? What was this bonehead like as a kid?”

Before Sans can respond (though you’re sure Papyrus would have interrupted him anyway), Chara rushes back into the room. They leap onto Sans, grinning excitedly. “Sans! We have to finish exploring space. You said we would after dinner!”

“OF COURSE, SMALL HUMAN! LET US EXPLORE THE DELTA QUADRANT!”

You and Papyrus watch the pair of them run upstairs and disappear into Sans’ room. You feel a little exhausted just watching them. And somewhat shocked by this other side of Sans.

“I don’t know how those two do it,” You mutter.

“well, sans has the energy of at least two monsters. he stole all of mine.” Papyrus winks at you when you look at him. “he paid for it in height. i got the better deal: height _and_ killer looks.”

With one less child in the room to mortify, and one less brother to embarrass the both of you, you lean upward to brush a kiss to Papyrus’ mouth. You hold that for a moment, gripping his hand before pulling away and giving him a sly grin. “Oh, is that why you’re so drop-dead gorgeous?”

He actually lets out a little laugh at that, and orange tinge painting his cheekbones. “oh, is that what you’d like? me, on my knees?”

Your face is burning up as you laugh. After a moment, the sound dies out in the air between you as you notice his expression sobering. This isn’t how you expected the mood to go at all. Searching his face, even his eye sockets seem to droop a little.

“Paps, what’s up?” You ask him, softly.

“sorry, it’s ah, nothing hun. i just…” Papyrus shakes his head, pulling his arms tighter around you as he nuzzles against your head. “that entire thing today was… was almost more than i could handle. we’re lucky chara thought to call sans or we…”

He pauses and you lean up to kiss him again. When you pull away, you murmur, “Papyrus, it’s alright. We’re here now, right? It’ll all be good.”

He lets his head fall back onto the couch and nods slowly. “’course, you’re right. nobody’s hurt now, so i’m sure it’ll work out. and sans is a stubborn guy; bet he’ll even rope alphys back into being friends soon.”

“Well, if it’s any consolation, you and Sans looked badass,” You say, a soft smile rising to your face. His silence worries you. “No joke? Paps, are you okay?”

Papyrus seems to consider your question. His arms relax around you and you let yourself fall back against him. Both his hands linger on your stomach. You rest your hands over them, threading your fingers between the slender bone. They feel so smooth, so delicate. “sorry hun. guess my funny bone’s feeling a bit sore. i’m alright. after all, you’re here with me.” He gives you a squeeze as you chuckle. “but are _you_ okay?”

“I think so, yeah. I mean, Alphys scared the shit out of me, but it felt incredible fighting her.” Papyrus makes a confused noise and you huff. “Alright, maybe not incredible. But, between dodging death and firing back, I felt… Proud. I was protecting myself, yeah, but Chara was who I was really worried about. Well, duh, of course I’d be worried about, ugh. Okay, rephrase. Ever since we fell down here, it feels like I’ve just been following Chara’s lead. Like they’re the wise guide leading the confused traveler who nearly trips over his own shoes. In that fight with Alphys, though, even if I was freaking out, I knew what I had to do. Like, I could finally be Chara’s dad. I could help them, not the other way around, you know?”

Papyrus hums in response, but doesn’t say anything. Comfortable silence settles between you, punctuated only by the muffled sounds of Sans’ voice upstairs. Fingers stroke gently across your arms. He still hasn’t said anything about your Soul. No matter how you think it over, there’s no easy way to go about it. Letting out a groan, you tilt yourself to face Papyrus.

“Paps, why is my Soul so fucked up?”

“it’s not fucked up.” He answers immediately. You flinch back at the sudden, harsh conviction in his voice. His eye sockets are drooping, and his smile seems strained. You’re not sure how to react. “it’s… hurt. you gave me a general idea of what your life was like, and i can put two and two together. i wasn’t expecting a play by play of your life from day one, but that kind of life…” He rubs his fingers over your forearms, constantly glancing back and forth from your face to your chest. “it leaves marks. someone who should have nurtured you, cared for you - they betrayed you. over and over, until the cracks started forming. i… shit, hun, please don’t…”

You don’t even realize tears are falling down your face as you let out a shaky laugh. God, you knew it, you fucking knew it. “I was right. As soon as I saw my Soul, I knew I was a fucking failure. He destroyed me, I can’t-”

“you are not a failure. don’t you _ever_ think that,” he says, squeezing you against him as he holds your gaze. “the cracks in your soul don’t define you. you’re wounded, and maybe those cracks will never completely heal over, but that doesn’t mean you’re a failure for having it happen to you.”

Drawing a shaky breath, you lean back onto Papyrus’ chest as you wipe away your tears. You really need to get a grip. “I’m just glad Chara is safe from this. They’ll never have to suffer what I did.” You smile again; it’s still wobbling, but it’s genuine. “Their Soul is beautiful. I hope it stays that way.”

“me too,” he says, a weight to his words you can feel as if it were a tangible thing. Papyrus’ hands rise from your arms and hover tentatively over your chest. You look up at him, though you think you know what he’s about to ask. “do you trust me?”

You nod. “Of course, Paps.”

Papyrus takes a deep breath (does he even need to breath?) and places both hands on your chest. You quickly place your hands in your lap, afraid to get in the way. A strange warmth spreads inside of you, a little fuzzy feeling. It’s not unpleasant, just different. His fingers twitch, and your Soul rises and lifts away from your body, a dark green glow lighting the space in front of you both. It’s just how you remember it, heart shaped with cracks spreading from the center. It’s almost like someone took a small hammer and wedge and drove it right down the middle.

Now that you can think calmly, it’s crazy to look at it. It’s your Soul. Somehow, you don’t think it’s quite the same as what some of your past ‘parents’ would tell you a ‘Soul’ is. But what is it then? How does it feel? You reach up to touch it and Papyrus doesn’t stop you. Your fingers pass right through, like it’s an illusion.

“But, how?” you say, startled. “I just…”

Papyrus pulls your hand away, settling it back in your lap. He’s careful not to touch your Soul. “sorry hun, only magic can touch. it’s how monsters can draw it out in the first place.”

“ _O_ _f course_.”

He lets out a short laugh. “yeah, more magic mumbo jumbo, i know. but for humans, your soul is the only part of you that contains said jumbo mumbo. us monsters, well, our whole bodies are made of the stuff. pretty great, eh?”  

You manage a half-smile for him, though it quickly falls away. “But there were humans with magic once, right? Only way that barrier could’ve been put up.”

“yeah, though i have no idea if any still do,” Papyrus shrugs. “off topic. point is, magic attracts magic. even when i can’t see it, i can feel your soul. chara’s soul might be stronger than yours, but that doesn’t mean you are weak. few monsters could even hope to hold out as long as you did against alphys.”

You’re shaking your head. Papyrus is giving you way too much credit. “In hindsight, yeah, it was badass. But that was not because of me.”

“your soul let your fire those blasts, to protect you. it was reacting to alphys’ magic.”

You blink. Sure, why not? “… But what about when my Soul made a giant bubble?”

Papyrus glances down at you, eyebrows raised. “no clue. but it sounds impressive.” His gaze returns to your Soul, fingers hovering around it like he’s holding something delicate and precious. You suppose, in a way, he is. Leaning on him, you can feel a shudder run through his bones. “you can’t really know how this feels, it’s… it’s indescribable.”

“Give it a shot,” you say, unable to keep your eyes off his face.

He looks down to your face and there’s something hungry in his eyes, affection and fear and lust all wrapped up together. “it sends shivers down my spine. i’m holding everything about you, concentrated into this little heart. it’s… it hurts so good, i can’t get enough of it. even this close i…” Papyrus fingers inch closer, then he trembles and drops his hands away. Sweat is building on the side of his skull and he releases a shaky sigh. “shit. sorry, i just… that was intense. human souls are outta this world.”

With Papyrus losing his focus on your Soul, it sinks back down into your chest and that strange fuzzy feeling goes away. You feel more solid, somehow. The intimacy of what just happened strikes you hard, a flush rapidly spreading over your cheeks. As you try to come to terms with just what Papyrus means, the skeleton before you collects himself.

“you’re not a failure,” He says, voice raspy and canted low as he reaches up to cup your check. “i hope that, ah, little light show helped you see exactly what your soul is capable of doing. it certainly gets quite the reaction… from me, at least.”

You pull away, twisting your body to pull one leg over his lap so that you’re straddling him. Fuck, you wish you could come up with some flirty line, but it’s hitting you just how much you matter to this skeleton, and hey, actions speak louder than words. Papyrus’ eyes widen as you cup his jaw, reaching upward to press a series of light kisses along his mouth. As you trail along his jaw, you feel his hands find your hips, then tease under the hem of your shirt, along the waist of your sweatpants. You can hear him release a shaky breath next to your ear.

“don’t ya need some more, uh, sleep, hun?” He protests, his phalanges trailing feather-light touches underneath your sweatpants. Hypocrite.

“I’m fine,” You murmur against his neck. He shivers. “The food helped, but I’m still feeling  _thirsty_.”

“chara could come down any second.”

That makes you pause. With a long groan you pull back, giving Papyrus an exasperated look. “It’s like you don’t want to get laid or something.”

“patience is a virtue,” He says, voice still low. His cheekbones are a light orange. “makes the ending all that more pleasurable.”

You grasp the back of his head, slowly stroking the spot where his spine meets his skull. “You are such a tease.”

He laughs, still shuddering beneath you. He pushes forward and meets you for another kiss that leaves you breathless. Pulling away with an even brighter blush, he smiles at you. “i’ll talk to sans tomorrow. see if we can’t get some one-on-one time for our own.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My classes have begun! Life may get hectic, but writing about life, love, and skeleton monsters is always a part of the schedule.
> 
> Chronicdelusionist is the MVP, show them all the love.


	16. Smile Through it All

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [ Onadacora's Original Fic ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/5053684/chapters/11621461) \--- [Chronicdelusionist's Comics](http://onadacora.tumblr.com/tagged/underswap-wtmyh/chrono)

**I don’t trust him.**

Chara giggles as Sans flies them around his bedroom, a model spacecraft clenched in their hand. Most of the toys are spaceships, and a small, guilty part of Chara wishes there were more little figurines instead, with swords and knives and other stuff. But they should be happy they even are playing with these. Sans seems to care about them a lot.

Sans animatedly describes the deft maneuvers of his own figurine, then flicks a switch that makes two lights start blinking on it. A feeble siren noise squeaks out.

**He lied to you! You’re the kid here.**

_It doesn’t matter. He loves me._

Chara’s smile never falters as they pretend their own toy was hit by the light, letting out an attempt at an explosion noise. The skeleton laughs triumphantly as he lets them gently down upon his bed.

**So? He** **_lied_ ** **. What if he’s still lying?**

_He was afraid of Alphys, but he protected me first. And he shouldn’t have to tell me anything. He’s looking out for me._

Snatching up another ship, Chara adopts a – fairly terrible – scholarly voice and tells the remaining crew members in their fleet that there is still hope. The crew members let out a cheer, shouting their battle cries. “We’re the _stars_ of the Federation!”

The performance has Sans in stitches.

**You can’t trust him. But you know you can trust me.**

_No. You just want to see all of my friends die._

**I want us safe. I want** **_you_ ** **safe.**

_You wanted Asgore dead._

**He wanted to stop us. Don’t you wanna see the sun again?**

_No! I like it down here. Br- Dad likes it here._

“CHARA?”

**You can’t trust anyone here. Humans and monsters, they’re all the same. They don’t care about us. No matter how many nice things you say, all the promises of love… They’ll leave you, after everything.**

_I don’t believe you!_

Chara’s fingers tighten around the toy in their hands. They don’t notice Sans waiting, eyeing them closely as he waits for them to speak.

**One day, you’ll be all alone, crying for help…**

“CHARA?” Sans finally reaches out and takes hold of Chara’s shoulder.

Chara yelps and looks at the skeleton, dropping the figure they’re holding.

“Sorry! I was struggling to come up with a good pun from Captain Piccolo!” Chara blurts out, trying their best not to look guilty.

“WHY, OF COURSE! PUNS ARE AN IMPORTANT PART OF EVERY GALACTIC BATTLE!”

Relieved but guilty of the lie, Chara snatches the figurine back up, not noticing Sans’ worried gaze.

**… But nobody will come.**

* * *

Papyrus lied to you. He’s not okay. He keeps replaying the moment he and Sans showed up in Snowdin and couldn’t find you, when he grabbed ahold of his brother and blinked forward towards Waterfall in a panic. The sight of you and Chara facing down Alphys sent a shiver of fear down his spine, and if it hadn’t been for Sans’ lightning fast reflexes… He can’t stop the images of the axes slamming into your body – your Soul – from running through his mind.

As much as you passing out made his non-existent heart stop, he was glad for the time to collect himself. He didn’t want you to see how scared he was. Your attempt at a lightening the situation before you went down didn’t really help, and he thinks you probably have some idea still. At least when you woke up he could pretend everything was better than it was. He’s great at that. Practically his job, after all this time.

Discarded cigarettes lie in a makeshift ashtray near his bed. He’s lying on his bed, absentmindedly fiddling with a mostly-working puzzle cube. Sleep isn’t coming anytime soon, but he needs something to tire himself out. For someone who can nap practically anywhere throughout the day, actually falling asleep at night is a struggle. Finishing the puzzle for the tenth time tonight, he lets out a sigh, haphazardly tossing it aside. He stares at the ceiling above his mattress, where, in large, bold writing, a message reads, “it hasn’t reset. he’s downstairs with chara.”

It helps.

Things are branching out more and more this time. Alphys never came to find Chara in Snowdin before, but Chara never stayed here this long either. And Sans always let news of a human slip to her, but this time he hadn’t. What else is going to change?

Part of Papyrus wishes that he knew what was coming. But that’s what makes this time special. It’s like a puzzle, and he’s finally piecing together some previously-unseen solution.

_nope, enough of all those resets and timelines. stop worrying, think of anything else._

He thinks of you. The weight of you – the reassuring, comfortable, graceless weight of you – in his lap, looking up at him before you started to kiss him. He remembers the soft warmth of your skin under his fingers, the little yelp you made when he squeezed your hips. Oh, he really wants to hear that noise again.

Your Soul is captivating. Worlds apart from Chara’s, the only other human Soul he’s ever seen before. Chara’s is incredibly strong, shining bright and clearer, unburdened (though he could swear that, sometimes, he feels some kind of echo). In comparison, yours feels more delicate, heavy and complicated. Your life has twisted and turned in a myriad of ways, and despite (or maybe because of) it all, he thinks it’s beautiful. Where Chara shines a bright red, your Soul is alight with a calming green. He can’t get enough of it.

He wanted to touch it, to feel what you feel, but that would have overstepped every boundary. You were still recovering, and he had no concrete idea what it would do to you. You didn’t seem to react at all compared to how he felt just being near it, but touching it directly… He’s positive there would be _something_ greater.

He wonders if he’d even be able to handle it himself.

Thinking of you makes him feel better, which alone is a testament to how much you’ve affected him. He should be upset, should be scared that you’re making him more and more vulnerable, but he can’t bring himself to do it.

It’s good to care again, even if it hurts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's a short one, I know. But don't worry, I'm sure you'll enjoy the next one.
> 
> Thanks to chronicdelusionist for their reminder that I am also writing children, not sassy teenagers.


	17. Two of a Kind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [ Onadacora's Original Fic ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/5053684/chapters/11621461) \--- [Chronicdelusionist's Comics](http://onadacora.tumblr.com/tagged/underswap-wtmyh/chrono)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, here it is, the very first chapter of smut. Hopefully you all enjoy. If reading about a dude and a skele-dude doing the dirty isn’t your cup of tea, I suggest not reading past the break.

 

You wake up with a pair of tiny feet lodged into the small of your back. Chara is curled up in a ball between you and the back of the couch, cocooned in their blanket and sound asleep. You’re lucky that they’re not a kicker, or you would have found yourself on the floor. Drool trailing from their open mouth, they give a small, sleepy snort and sneeze in their sleep.

There’s a light on in the kitchen, which means food. A quick check on your phone tells you it’s just a little after 8 AM. With some difficulty, you untangle yourself from the blanket and find your feet. The (kinda ugly) blue and purple zigzag carpet is now familiar under your bare feet, the flattened piling old and worn down.

Rubbing your face and stifling a yawn, you stumble blearily into the kitchen. The only light is from the stove’s hood lamp, dim, but it’s enough to lighten the kitchen without disturbing the living room. That was considerate of... of course, Sans is there, perking up at the sight of you. He’s sitting at the kitchen table, taking bites of burgers from his stockpile in the fridge. Judging by the loud crunches the bread is making, you think he’s eating it cold. Does he not have taste buds?

“GOOD MORNING, LARGE HUMAN,” He says, far too cheerful for your still-groggy state. He’s speaking a bit quieter than usual, but even that is much too loud for your taste. Not loud enough to disturb Chara, but enough to invoke that sense of _presence_ he has.

You mumble something close to a greeting as you dig through the cabinet. Ah, instant coffee. Objectively disgusting, but you’ve lived on it for years and, considering the brothers have no way of getting a coffee pot or a French press, you’ll survive living on it. You wonder how the shop bunny got her hands on some. Considering the expiration date was rubbed off some time prior to being sold, you don’t think you’d like the answer. Well, what’s life without a little risk, right?

Risk was what got you into this, after all. Risk got you Papyrus. That thought brings a soft smile to your face.

You fill up the kettle from the sink and set it on the stove, turning the knob the wrong way at first, then quickly correcting yourself. With another repressed yawn, you turn to face Sans and lean yourself against the counter. He’s turned in his chair, facing you and ignoring his breakfast burger. Your smile drops a little when you see that he’s watching you with a small frown on his face.

“LARGE HUMAN, I AM GLAD YOU’RE HERE RIGHT NOW. I’VE HAD _NO-BODY_ TO TALK WITH.” Sans lets out a small chuckle at his own joke, yet he still doesn’t smile. “I WISH TO DISCUSS PAPYRUS WITH YOU.”

Before you can say anything, Sans is on his feet. He’s almost foot shorter than you, yet as he closes the distance you can’t help but feel a little trapped. You’re a lot more awake now, and kind of wishing for the puns to come back.

“PAPYRUS IS MY ONLY FAMILY, MY BROTHER. I, THE _SANSATIONAL_ SANS, TAKE CARE OF HIM, AND TRY MY BEST TO KEEP HIM HAPPY. AND NOW YOU’RE HERE, AND YOU’VE BEEN HELPING HIM BE HAPPY TOO. TRULY, YOU ARE A _SANSATIONAL_ FRIEND.” Sans’ has your gaze held and locked in his, and you get the feeling breaking contact would be a huge mistake. His words might be pleasant, and you are honestly touched at the sentiment, but he is not comforting you here.

“I’m glad you, uh, think so, Sans,” You mumble.

“THAT SAID.” You barely hold in a shout when Sans eye sockets go black. You feel a tingle of magic in the air around him. “I BETTER NOT HEAR THAT YOU’VE MADE HIM SAD. BECAUSE IF YOU HURT MY BROTHER…” His left eye bursts into blue light, sharper and brighter then you remember. You flinch back against the counter. “I WON’T BE PLEASED.”

You thought you were used to being a disappointment. You’d given up years ago in pleasing adults, after all. But right now? You have never wanted to please someone more in your life.

All at once the magic is gone, and San’s eyelights are both their usual brightness. As you stare slack-jawed at the short skeleton, the kettle starts to give off the beginnings of a low, quiet whistle. Sans turns away from you to sit back at the table, and you hurry to pull the kettle off the stove before it gets louder. Your hands are definitely shaking as you pour boiling water into your mug and start stirring. What the  _fuck_ just happened? You’ve never seen Sans that intimidating, not even when he was facing down Alphys.

Oh, but Alphys wasn’t threatening Papyrus, now was she?

Finding your voice, you pick up your mug and (and closing your jaw) take a seat next to Sans at the table. “I, err, hope you know I would never hurt Papyrus. He deserves to be happy,” You say, staring at your coffee as you stir some more.

“I DO!” Sans, says, his voice cheerful once more. You feel like you’ve suffered emotional whiplash at the sudden change of tone. Like Sans hadn’t nearly made you shit yourself. “I BELIEVE YOU! THE TWO OF YOU ARE SURE TO BE INSUFFERABLE TOGETHER, WHAT WITH YOUR JAPES.” You look up in time to see his grin widen, and his plate is somehow empty. “BUT IF THAT MEANS MY BROTHER’S SMILE IS GENUINE, THEN I SUPPOSE I CAN LET HIM EXERCISE HIS FUNNY BONE.”

You sip at the hot coffee, scalding your tongue. Definitely need to let that sit a little longer. Shaking with nervous energy, you grip the mug slowly between your hands, the heat warming your pawns. “Well, I hope I won’t let you down.”

Sans claps a hand on your shoulder, making you jolt and nearly spill your coffee. He’s beaming at you, filled with confidence. “OF COURSE NOT!” He releases you, scooping up his dishes and leaving the table to put them in the sink. “I HOPE THE TWO OF YOU ENJOY YOUR ALONE TIME. ALONE. WITH NO- _BODY_ BETWEEN YOU,” he says, smile widening even further. His eyes sparkle as he speaks.

You’re certain you’re blushing. Your face feels hotter than the mug between your hands.

Sans nudges you in the shoulder, cackling on his way out of the kitchen. “CHARA! RISE AND SHINE! YOU AND I, THE _SANSATIONAL_ SANS, HAVE AN EXCITING, ADVENTURE-FILLED DAY AHEAD OF US THAT’S OUT OF THIS WORLD!”

God, why won’t your face stop blushing?

* * *

You’re lying on the couch, empty coffee mug discarded on the nearby table. The house is dead silent without Sans and Chara gone. It feels odd, sitting there alone while you wait for Papyrus to wake up. You’re thumbing through a book of monster-tales, killing time. Their mythology always seems to resolve itself without violence, almost the complete opposite of the myths you loved reading on the Surface.

Flipping the page, you let out a groan. The page is empty, with a message written on a post-it note stating, “IOU: The rest of this collection of writings.” That’s the third book you’ve flipped through with that message. Who publishes an incomplete book? Honestly.

With a sigh, you close the book and place it aside. A yawn escapes you as you stretch out. Now that won’t do. You make your way toward the kitchen, mug in hand as you reach the sink. You catch sight of Sans’ plate and frown. To clean, or not to clean? Ignoring the harsh voice at the back of your mind, you decide to leave it for later. You’re improving.

As you turn away from the sink and dry your hands on a dish towel sitting on the counter, you spot Papyrus watching you from the entryway. He meets your eyes for a second, just long enough so that you know that he knows that you’re watching. Then, with exaggerated slowness, his gaze rakes down your body.  You can practically feel it, like fingers dragging down your skin.

Your face is burning in his gaze, but two can play at that game. Feigning a yawn, you stretch your arms well over your head, just enough for the goofy black t-shirt with the rib cage on it that you’re wearing to… Not reveal your bare stomach, because it’s too long. Shit.

Distracted by your shirt, it takes you a second to realize that Papyrus is right in front of you. Grinning, with laughter in his eyes, he leans down and brushes the toothy equivalent of a kiss to your jaw. “gotta say. it’s been dead silent in here. take it they’re gone?”

“For over an hour, lazy bones,” You say, laughing despite yourself.

“good,” Papyrus says, voice canted low, and wow. You definitely like that. “you seem just as excited about that as i am.”

 _Shit._ Well, he isn’t wrong. His voice, the hungry look replacing his laughter... At least these shorts aren’t constricting you. You’re not going to waste another moment of this alone time.

Papyrus lets out a surprised noise when you stretch up to press your mouth to his, your hands reaching underneath his own shirt to dance along his ribs. His own fingers slide up your back in seconds, and you let out a pleased hum as he drags feather-light touches back down your spine.

“So tell me, bone boy,” You breathe against his jaw, planting kisses along the edge of the bone. “What's it gonna take to rattle your bones?”

He doesn’t respond, and for a moment you’re worried you screwed something up. Opening your eyes, you lean back to see him staring at you in wonder. “that’s my line.”

You look away, unable to meet that gaze for long. “Well, I-” Papyrus cuts you off, one hand cupping the back of your neck to pull your head closer to his. You don’t fight back, groaning in response to the familiar warmth of his conjured tongue sliding past yours. Your fingers tighten reflexively on the rib they’re holding and he moans in response.

Papyrus continues to shudder as your hands work around his side and down his spine. Your fingers trail lightly over all the curves and divots; the bones warm under your touch. As you trail across the curve of his pelvis, he breaks away from the kiss and presses his forehead to your shoulder, biting back a gasp.

“shit,” He breathes, his wandering hand gripping your hip. You want to guide him forward, but pleasuring him is the goal today. “you are driving me wild.”

The hand that was on the back of your neck moves to take hold of the loose collar of your borrowed t-shirt. Tugging it to the side, you feel his tongue sweep down your neck and to the exposed part of your shoulder. Then, the hard edge of his teeth grazes your skin, before he slowly, carefully, bites down. It's enough to make you moan, the tiniest hint of pain only sending a thrill right down to your groin. Your moan turns into a breathy gasp as the hand on your hip moves over to lightly grip you over your briefs.

“Fuck, Paps,” You whine, panting for air as he gives a curious stroke.

“let it out, hun. what do you need?” He says, releasing the collar of your shirt as he looks down at you with one burning eye. You can see the hint of his orange tongue still behind his teeth as he talks.

“Bedroom, now. I want you, Paps,” You plead, unable to keep the desire out of your voice. How is he unraveling you like this?

There’s a familiar lurch in the pit of your stomach and you find yourself in Papyrus’ room. He holds you steady as you wobble a bit, regaining your bearings. His hands fall away from you, looking a little sheepish. “sorry, uh, guess we could have gone a little slower.”

“It’s cool,” You say, stroking a thumb across the orange stain on his cheekbone. “But now that we’re here…”

Papyrus eyes you as you gently push him down onto the bed, getting down on your knees. “whatcha doing down there?” He sounds almost hesitant.

“Oh, just getting a drink.” You grip the ends of his shorts, looking him in the eyes. You falter at the look on his face. “Are, uh, is this okay, Paps?”

“i... whaddya need, hun?” You tilt your head at that comment. His face is flushed orange now, and he can’t seem to look you in the eyes. “you know…”

“Uhhh, Paps, you’re gonna have to spell this out for me.” You join him on the bed, reaching out to hold his hand. He gives yours a squeeze. “I’ve been with guys before too, it’s no big deal.”

He shakes his head and sighs. Looking you in the eyes, he says, “it’s not that. hun, i can make anything you want. _anything_.”

It takes you longer than you’d like to understand the meaning of that. Fucking. Magic. _Bullshit_. You’re quick to stop your thoughts from exploring just what anything could do… There’s always next time.

He seems to relax at the look on your face, leaning down to nuzzle your face. “that’s right. you, uh, just need to let me know what you want…”

“Whatever you’re most comfortable with.” He seems torn on that, and you squeeze his hand encouragingly. “Paps, what’s wrong?”

“i, uh, well,” You’ve never seen him so flustered before, and you’re equal parts amused and worried as sweat gathers on his forehead. “i might talk a good game, but…” He coughs. “it’s, uh, theoretical.”

Oh. _Oh_. You stand up, pulling Papyrus along with you. “Do you seriously… I mean, do you really want to do this with me?” You can’t wrap your head around this.

“yeah, yeah i do.” He’s looking down at you with the same grin as always, but right now you know. You know it’s a mask. Part of you thinks of where this could lead, that you shouldn’t do it, that it’ll never work out. But the fact that Papyrus would offer himself like this, to you?

At your encouraging nod, Papyrus reaches and carefully tugs down your shorts, letting them fall into a pool of fabric at your feet. You reach down to start taking off your shirt, but he catches your wrists. “please. i’d like to,” He says, the gentleness of his voice making you stop.

The shirt finds a new home on the floor near the weights. You stand there in only your underwear, fighting the sudden urge to cross your arms as Papyrus just _looks_ at you. God, he’s the virgin, not you! Yet you still feel self-conscious as you remember the scars all along your back and sides. Yet, Papyrus has this sense of awe in his expression that quiets the voices in the back of your head.

He seems afraid to touch you. “are you… can i really do this?” Papyrus raises a hand, but seems unsure.

You reach out and take his hand, guiding it to the curve of your waist. “Yeah, you can. But let’s get you comfortable too, ‘kay?”

He’s shaking, just enough for you to notice, as you tug on his hoodie. You lean up, kissing him, and his movements steady under your hands. You stay like that for a moment, enjoying the warmth of his tongue alongside your own. He lets out a rattled breath as you break away, tugging it off his head. You take in the view of his ribs – he’s never taken off his shirt around you, has he? – before shooting him a grin.

“How long have you been waiting for me to nibble on these bones of yours, hmm?”

Papyrus stares at you, eye sockets wide and cheekbones stained a deep orange as he breaks into laughter. A warm feeling settles in your chest at the familiar, raspy sound. “nyeh heh, about as long as you’ve been imagining what my magic can do to you.”

Well, he’s certainly not wrong. “Touché.” You say, repositioning yourself to be eye level with that lovely bulge of his. “But like I said before, I’m feeling thirsty.”

Rubbing your fingers on his pelvic bone, you enjoy a sharp moan from above you. Sensitive bones indeed. You slide off his cargo shorts, taking your sweet time with the zipper, and stop to stare at the fabric underneath. Beneath his black and white bone-covered boxers, there’s a phallic-shaped orange glow. Another orange light from your peripheral vision draws your gaze momentarily to his face, where Papyrus’ normally-dark right eyesocket is shining with a large orange pupil, magic wisps flaring off of it and dissolving into the darkness of the room.

You reflexively remember your encounter with Sans that morning, but you’re having trouble caring about whys and hows at the moment. The moans coming out of Papyrus as you peel away the layers of fabric are music to your ears. He has his head tilted back, but he’s straining to keep watching you. You undo the front of his boxers, rubbing as you go, and reach in, revealing a very decent approximation of a dick. It’s orange, and translucent, and you only stare - fascinated - for a few moments before stroking it experimentally. Papyrus’ breath hitching above you signals success, and you smile up at him before going to work.

You see Papyrus’ hands dig into the sheets tightly as you run your tongue up the underside of his cock. Swirling around the head, you glance up again to wink at him – oh, he looks gorgeous – before taking as much as you can.

“fuck!” One hand grips your shoulder, phalanges clenching into your flesh. He’s holding himself back, but you can feel the small twitches in his hips. The texture isn’t the same as flesh; It’s slicker and easier to work your lips over. And you do, moving up and down, alternating taking it deep in your throat and dancing your tongue around the head when you come up for air.

You hum, and swallow one last time before looking straight into his eyes and taking your lips go straight to the base of the shaft. Papyrus lets out a shout, and… Huh. Well, no mess is probably a good thing. Pulling yourself off of him, you give Papyrus a couple of strokes, enjoying the twitching and above you.

“shit, you’re too good to me.” He finally says, and you can’t keep the satisfied grin off your face at how completely _gone_ he looks. He pulls you up next to him, hugging you tightly. You hug him back, careful not to grip his spine too tightly… Though you can’t resist giving it a quick squeeze. He shivers at your touch, and as he pulls back, the look on his face goes right to your dick.

Licking his teeth – that tongue is _long_ – Papyrus trails his fingers down your chest. You watch him study you, the way the hard bones of his fingers press at your softer flesh. You can’t help but lean into his touch, aching for him to reach lower. You bite back a groan as he finally reaches the top of your briefs.

“show me what to do. what will make you feel good?” He pulls off the last scrap of your clothing as he speaks to you, voice humming against your skin. He gives a squeeze into the flesh in your hip, sending a shiver of pleasure through your body. You don’t trust yourself to speak.

You guide his hand over your dick, showing him a steady rhythm. You wince at the overstimulation, and after a few moments you realize that the hard surface of his fingers is too much for you. Papyrus quickly pulls away as you reach back down. “Damn it, I, uh… I’m used to a little padding,” You admit in a small voice.

“it’s fine, hot stuff, i gotcha,” Papyrus says. He brushes his mouth against your cheek before removing his hand and repositioning himself to settle between your legs. Your breath catches in the back of your throat as he presses kisses along your stomach, closer and closer until -

 _Fuck._ His tongue feels so good on you. He doesn’t break eye contact as he envelopes your entire length. A shaky moan escapes you as he slowly, agonizingly, bobs his head in a steady rhythm. “P-Paps,” You breathe out. And he says he’s a virgin?

He lets out a hum in response, and _shit_ , you won’t last long like this. “Y-you’re doing so good,” You groan. “You’re so damn good at this – ah!”

The tight feeling pooling in you overflows and you moan Papyrus’ name as you come. Waves of pleasure roll through your body as you fall back against the bed. Your ragged pants fills the room, and you flash a satisfied grin to Papyrus as he slides up alongside you.

“you know, you never did tell me if you like it rough.”

You let out a guffaw at the shit eating grin on his face, even as he blushes. “Well, maybe next time I’ll let you know. How about you? Enjoy your first trip to human central?’

“i… that was incredible,” He murmurs, and you can only nod in agreement.

You feel so satisfied. Your body is still tingling in pleasure, an enjoyable background sensation to Papyrus’ warm edges pressed into your side.

“i just want to lie here, forever,” He says, quietly, like he’s afraid the universe will hear him and intervene. Maybe he is. “i can’t believe you’re actually here with me.”

“‘Course I am, Paps. You aren’t getting rid of me easily,” You promise, running a hand along his back.

Papyrus doesn’t say anything. Instead he holds you closer, and you think he’s listening to your heartbeat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy moley, time to earn that rating, eh? Plus, live up to my username, hehe. I'd like to apologize for the delay in this chapter, but I hope it was worth the wait.
> 
> Super, mega, INCREDIBLE thanks to chronicdelusionist, who made this chapter around 5000% sexier (I'm an engineer, this is obviously properly calculated) and fixed a skele-ton of errors. You are the absolute best.


	18. Starry-Eyed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [ Onadacora's Original Fic ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/5053684/chapters/11621461) \--- [Chronicdelusionist's Comics](http://onadacora.tumblr.com/tagged/underswap-wtmyh/chrono)

Sans loves the time he spends with Chara. Not that he doesn’t enjoy spending time with you, but there’s something to be said for meeting a fellow pun–lover, especially one with as much enthusiasm as this child. Chara sits on his shoulders as they walk through Waterfall, gazing up at the sparkling crystals overhead.

“They look like stars!” Chara cries, patting at San’s hands as he holds their knees.

“THAT’S WHY IT’S CALLED THE WISHING ROOM, DEAR CHARA! AFTER ALL OUR FUN SAVING THE GALAXY, I THOUGHT YOU MIGHT ENJOY THIS PLACE AS MUCH AS I.” Sans feels Chara cover the top of his skull with their hands, then rest their chin on their fingers. “YOU KNOW, YOU COULD MAKE A WISH IF YOU’D LIKE. I BET IF YOU WISH HARD ENOUGH, IT WILL COME TRUE!”

Chara hums, thrumming their fingers on his skull, but doesn’t immediately answer.

He’s glad that he was able to stop Alphys from hurting his new human friends. He knows that the Queen needs humans in order to open the Barrier, but… He hadn’t suspected that the humans would have to  _ die _ . Of course he wants to reach the surface, for everyone to, but not at the expense of his friends. No one is hurting you two under his watch.

Especially now that Papyrus seems so fond of you. Papyrus never talks about why, but Sans knows his brother hasn’t been the same. Not since he moved in with him in Snowdin. Something happened, something he feels like he should remember, but can’t. There was a time where things were… bad for Papyrus. He rarely left his room, kept pouring over strange blueprints and muttering to himself. Then he stopped doing much of anything. The bright, keen-eyed look Sans remembered seeing every time Papyrus encountered a new scrap of understanding, a new puzzle to put together, was inexplicably gone. He had just… given up. That was when Sans urged his brother to take a job with him as a sentry.

He shouldn’t focus on that. He doesn’t  _ like _ to think about it.

But Papyrus has been smiling more, he’s sure of it. Papyrus likes to think he can’t tell when the smiles are fake, but Sans knows his brother. He also knows his brother bottles things up, so Sans acts like nothing’s wrong. Because that’s what Papyrus wants.

“Got it! I have my wish,” Chara says. “But I don’t think I’m supposed to tell it to you. If I do, it won’t come true, right?”

“PREPOSTEROUS! IF YOU  _ WISH  _ TO TELL ME, YOU CAN DO SO.” Chara wiggles excitedly on his shoulders. Startled, Sans tighten his grip on their legs. “WOAH THERE! I DON’T WANT YOU TO FALL AND BECOME INJURED.”

Chara leans forward and curls their little fingers over his gloves, resting their chin on top of his skull. Sans can’t help the swell of affection that rises inside him. It’s as if he’s back in New Home, carrying Papyrus about. And just like then, he will not let anything happen to Chara. Not if he can help it.

“In that case, I wish that you, and Dad, and Papyrus and me, err, I all stay together and happy. Like…” The confidence fades from them, Chara’s fingers tightening on his hands. Their voice is almost hesitant, questioning as they say, “Like a family?”

“I’M STARSTRUCK BY SUCH A STUNNING WISH! I IMAGINE IT MUST COME TRUE.”

Chara giggles at him, a pleasant noise that vibrates through his skull. Their surroundings have slowly changed from sparkling caverns to dark, glowing marsh. The water gives off a calming, blue glow.

“Uh, Sans? Where are we going, anyway?” Chara asks, wiggling the tips of their worn sneakers up and down.

“WELL, I WAS THINKING ABOUT STOPPING BY ALPHYS’ HOUSE! SHE…” Sans hesitates, nervous seat springing up on the side of his skull. “SHE HASN’T BEEN RESPONDING TO MY CALLS. BUT! I’M SURE SHE’S JUST BEEN VERY BUSY! AND THAT THE TWO OF YOU WILL BECOME GREAT FRIENDS! AFTER ALL, YOU’RE BOTH FRIENDS WITH THE  _ SANSATIONAL _ SANS, EVEN IF YOU HAD A ROUGH START… BUT SHE’S REALLY VERY NICE!” He pauses again, and then shrugs. “OF COURSE, FIRST YOU NEED TO GET PAST HER TEMPER, AND HER RUDENESS, AND, ERR, WELL. DEEP DOWN, PERHAPS VERY DEEP, ALPHYS IS A GOOD FRIEND.”

* * *

They watch as the inferno before them consumes the house.

“SO, UH… WHAT ARE WE TELLING THE LARGE HUMAN?” Sans ventures.

“Cooking accident.” The other two say in unison.

* * *

“Got any clue when they’re supposed to get back?” You’re still with Papyrus in his room, lying naked on his bed. Neither of you are in a rush to go anywhere. You’re happy just staying there with him, talking. Glancing up at the ceiling, you notice a tiny bit of tape with the ripped corner of a piece of paper under it. You idly wonder what was stuck there.

“sans said he’d call or something on the way back, but he mentioned something about leftovers in the fridge? he made it sound like an all-day sort of thing,” Papyrus says, shrugging. He reaches over you to grab his phone. There’s a single message that he absolutely refuses to show you after you see his blush. A glance at the clock says it’s still midmorning.

“What are they doing?” You ask, looking up at Papyrus as he lingers over you.

“said something about an adventure.” He drops his phone back on the end table (far enough that the effort wasn’t worth reaching for), then throws his leg over yours, straddling your thighs. You snort as he sits back, casual, and grins at you.

Tucking your arms behind your head, you raise an eyebrow at him as his gaze trails lazily down your torso. “Enjoying the view?” You ask, puffing your chest out with a smirk. You don’t feel self-conscious as he looks at you, but you can definitely feel a bit of warmth rise to your cheeks at the loving gaze in his eyes. It’s… different, this time. Sure, every time after sex feels ‘special,’ but right now you can feel it. Like as long as you don’t open the door to his bedroom, everything will stay just like this.

“yeah, it’s almost as great as me.” He says, winking. You roll your eyes, chuckling just enough for his smile to widen. His fingers trace along the edges of your ribs, making you shiver involuntarily. “so, did my promise on our date come true? did you have a good time?”

“A wonderful time,” You assure him as his fingers and his gaze drift down to your stomach. “You sure you’re a virgin?”

“promise. guess i’m just that talented, eh?”

You try to hide your laughter behind a cough, but fail when you see the look on his face.

“and on my first trip to, what did you call it? human central,” He leers down at you, sending you into another fit of laughs. “i’ll have to visit more often.”

Catching your breath, you give his femur a weak shove. “What, ready for round two already?”

“course’ i am, hot stuff. can’t get enough of you.” His hand trails lower, dancing around your crotch with feather-light touches. Despite the small groan that escapes you, you give him a small swat.

He grabs your hand and, without breaking eye contact, manifests his tongue to slowly lick your fingers. Thoughts of where else that tongue could go flash in your mind, and you feel your face heat up.

Papyrus looks smug as he releases you. “well, guess you’re interested too.”

What stammering you’re about to say is interrupted by Papyrus leaning down and nuzzling you jaw. “you’re so adorable when you’re flustered.” He says, voice low again. Your breath hitches as his teeth softly press onto your shoulder before hesitantly biting ever so slightly down. That gets a groan out of you.

Letting out a pleased hum, Papyrus pulls away with a wink. “glad to see all of you tastes good.”

“Nope, you are a tease and liar.” You say, hoping he ignores the shaking in your voice. You push him lightly aside.

With a dramatic gasp, Papyrus falls off to lay next to you. You turn, unable to keep a smile off your face. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were pouting. Impressive, for someone without lips.”

“the great papyrus does not pout. but he can certainly do a lot without lips, hun.” The lust-filled gaze softens into affection as he reaches out and gives your hand a squeeze. “besides, i’m too happy to pout right now.”

Running your fingers over the smooth bones of his hand, you smile softly at him. “You know that I’m happy too, right? Because I am.”

“i’d hoped… but you saying so is nice.” As you drop you hand back to the bed, his arm wraps around you, and you almost unconsciously flip over to let him spoon you. Instead of arms swinging over your chest, you instead feel fingers rubbing gentle circles into your back. You press back, humming softly as he continues pressing into your skin. “i see you like that.”

You nod. “It feels great. Haven’t had a massage in ages.

“well we can’t have that. i’ll throw it onto the list.”

“What list?”

“the list of things that melt you like putty in my hands.”

“What? No it doesn’t!”

“does too.”

“Does no-ah!” His phalanges dig into a particularly sore spot and you can’t help but moan. You can  _ feel  _ the smirk radiating from behind you. “Shush you.”

“my teeth are sealed.”

You snort in response. Papyrus tugs you closer, right up against him so you can feel his bones against your skin. You crane your neck back to give him an annoyed look, but fail miserably when you meet his affectionate gaze. What a complete sap… Then again, you’re smiling back at him too, aren’t you?

You shiver when, unexpectedly, you feel Papyrus’ fingers press against your hipbone and trail up your side. He stops somewhere familiar, the spot where you know your scars start. His touch is gentle as he traces over it. “hey, hun? what happened here?”

You were silly to hope he wouldn’t ask about those. “ _ Him. _ ” You mutter, and for some reason you add, “... Better me than Chara.”

“these… hun, are these burns?”

You open your mouth to answer, but freeze. Your throat feels too tight to speak, so after a moment you simply nod. What does he think of them? What kind of kid must you have been, to be beaten, to be burned?

Papyrus’ skull nuzzles against your back as he murmurs, “i think they make you look badass.”

Feeling a faint blush creep across your cheeks, you glance away. “Well, that might be true, but you don’t have any frame of reference. Maybe all humans have scars along their back and sweet tattoos as adults.”

Bony fingers cup your chin, gently turning you towards him as Papyrus leans down to brush a toothy kiss to your forehead. “who cares about those other humans. i like  _ you _ . i like your cute face.” He brushes his hand across your cheek. “your badass tattoo.” His touch shifts to your arm. “your soul.” His fingers trace a path down to your chest. “your body.” He grabs your waist. “and everything about it. every mark, every scar.”

You’re beet red by the time he’s done, fighting the urge to duck your head down into your chest.

He seems a little surprised when he gaze meets yours, after following a trail down your body. “hun, you okay?”

“Hmm?” You realize that your eyes are misting up, and you hurry to blink back tears. “Y-yeah! Just, uh… you’re being such a romantic here. Leaving me all starry eyed,” you say sniffling a little bit and giving an embarrassed laugh. “You know, I’m not used to having my own lines used on me.”

Papyrus’ smile seems a little sad. He pulls you tighter against himself. “well, you better get used to it.”

“i think this is a pretty great part of you too.” Glancing down at his fingers, you see he’s hovering over your tattoo. “so, what’s all this anyway?”

You almost laugh, but his voice is serious. Well, why would he be joking? It’s not like he’s ever seen weather like it is up above. Just... Endless snow. “It’s a thunderstorm. See, uh, well… I got it, cause I thought it was cool. We went camping once, and I could see it on the horizon. Dark clouds, flashes of light, just… I thought it fit me pretty well, when I got it.” You shake your head and chuckle. “A force of nature.”

“heh, well, at least you brought a piece of the sky down with you.” Papyrus murmurs, warmth in his voice. “what about this bird then?”

A ghost of a smile rises to your face. “Chara was turning four, and they liked ravens. Thought they looked pretty.” You meet his gaze. “I always thought of it as a good luck charm, myself.”

“huh. well, you’re here, so it must be working.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies that this has come out so late; college is killer on time. 
> 
> Thanks to chronicdelusionist for their advice on how best to make ya'll feel warm and fuzzy.


	19. Maladjusted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [ Onadacora's Original Fic ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/5053684/chapters/11621461) \--- [Chronicdelusionist's Comics](http://onadacora.tumblr.com/tagged/underswap-wtmyh/chrono)

Papyrus jerks awake, fingers digging into a balled up pillow he doesn’t remember grabbing. His bones are humming with fear as his eyes fly open and take in his empty bedroom. He spots the tape stuck to the ceiling, a remnant of the note he made sure to remove before you had the chance to see it. It would just confuse you. But even without the note still attached, it’s a tangible reminder of where – when – he is. He slowly relaxes his grip on the pillow.

A wide grin, double-headed axes, and disappointed scowls haunt the back of his mind.  _ Fucking Alphys.  _ Part of Papyrus is still furious at her, even though he knows that he should have expected what happened. The number of times… Well, he’d stopped bothering to keep track of just how many times Alphys and Chara had killed each other. But seeing you facing her down was terrifying. He can still remember the first horrified thought that entered his mind when he caught sight of your cracked Soul, the rage he felt at the belief that Alphys had done that to you.

But Alphys is one of Sans’ best friends. If anything happened to her, his brother would be heartbroken. Papyrus is glad that things were resolved the way they were, for everyone’s sake.

Reaching out blindly, he grabs his phone, ignoring how his hands are still shaking. It’s fine. The only message is from just after Sans and Chara left this morning. “HAVE A  _ BONE-RATTLING _ GOOD TIME, YOU TWO!” 

You murmur something in your sleep, flinging an arm out over his rib cage. You must have grabbed some food and decided to come back to sleep a little longer with him. Papyrus smiles slightly, before his non-existent heart drops.

He’s making a huge mistake. This is so damn hard, and God, if this ends in a Reset… Why is he trying so damn hard? Torturing himself and you? He’s actually happy, and terrified, and he has to drop the phone before he shatters the screen with how tightly he’s squeezing it. It was so much easier just being numb to it all, putting on the show and not  _ care  _ so damn much. Starting and restarting over and over…

Fuck, why hadn’t he just died in that lab accident?

That intrusive thought makes his eyes fly open and he forces himself to breath in and out slowly.  _ Not today _ . He’s not letting himself go there. Today is supposed to be a  _ good day _ , and he’s not going to let these fucking thoughts ruin it.

_ screw it. _

He shoves everything down into what would be the pit of his stomach, if he had one. Every feeling of fear and worry, even the happiness at every little thing you’ve done for him gets caught in the middle and stamped down. He just needs some time, and he’ll be fine. No need to let all those emotions rush out.

Papyrus carefully disentangles himself from you, gets dressed and shoves his phone in his pocket.

His breath catches in his throat looking down at you. A soft smile rests on your face, and you seem so relaxed, so at ease. He can’t handle this.

He quickly heads downstairs.

The house is silent, even a little lonely, without Sans’ voice carrying down from his bedroom, or shouting at the television. Thinking of Sans, Papyrus walks over to his pet snow-decahedron, lifts the snow out of its icebox, and shakes some sugar into his hands. He puts the snow back. The sugar is tossed into the trash when he enters the kitchen. That way his brother thinks he’s been doing something good by ‘feeding’ it.

He spots a plate of spaghetti sitting on the kitchen table, a little scrap of paper next to it with some scribbles on it. Beside it is a bottle of honey and… A lit candle? The spaghetti is still steaming lightly, like it just came out. Vegetables are decorated around it, with a fairly large helping of cheese sprinkled on top. A fork, spoon, and napkin are carefully placed right next to it. You took your time with this. You  _ cared _ about making this for him.

Written on the note is a short message reading, “Hot stuff and some honey, since I know how much you like those.”

Papyrus can’t stop it. His vision swims and he’s sobbing into his hands, sinking down onto the floor by the plate you set for him. It hurts. Everything hurts. Everything he shoved down is rushing back up, overwhelming every thought and every sense.

He’s so happy.

He’s so scared.

He doesn’t want to see this all vanish to a Reset. He doesn’t want to lose  _ you _ .

He thinks he’s falling in love with you, and it might just shatter him.

* * *

Letting out a long yawn, you groggily sit up in Papyrus’ bed. Despite falling back asleep, you feel refreshed, and if you’re being honest with yourself, pretty damn great. Thoughts to earlier rise to your mind, and you can’t stop the satisfied smirk rising to your face.

There’s a distinct lack of skeleton beside you, so you imagine he’s probably down in the kitchen. You hope he enjoys the little treat you cooked up for him. Throwing on a clean shirt, you head downstairs.

When you hear Papyrus, you take a second look at the dark television to make sure it’s not on, because the last thing you expect to hear is crying. A few quick steps take you to the kitchen. Freezing in the entryway, you see him sitting at the kitchen table with his face in his hands. Your heart drops in your chest.

“Papyrus?” You say, rushing to his side.

He jumps at the sound of your voice, head jerking up to look at you. His face is tear-stained and the bone underneath his wide eye-sockets is dark. Pushing himself to his feet, hands gripping the table for support, he shakes his head, cursing under his breath. He rubs at his face with orange sleeves. You can see he’s trembling.

You’re at his side in one more stride, ignoring the hand he’s raising to try and ward you off. “Paps, what’s wrong?” You ask, fear bubbling in your chest. You grip onto his arm. “Are Chara and Sans alright? Did something happen?”

Papyrus looks at you, confused. “h-huh? no, nothing, i haven’t heard a thing…” He starts fumbling with his pockets.

“Then what’s wrong? What happened to you?” You ease your grip on him, trying to get him to look you in the eyes.

He pulls out his phone with one hand, clutching his side with the other. He turns away from you, just enough to angle his shoulder towards you. You let your hands fall back to your sides.

“shit, how did i… they’re on their way back, sans sent me a text just a few minutes ago.” Papyrus shoves his phone back into his pocket, patting his face with his sleeves. “ _ fuck _ .”

“Papyrus, talk to me. What’s wrong?” You ask him, emotions twisting in your stomach. “Say something, man!”

“i can’t, i can’t, i-” He’s shaking his head, pushing past you out of the kitchen.

You grab his sleeve, and adrenaline pounding. “Paps, did I screw something up?”

Papyrus stops, looking down at you with shock easily read off his face. “no, fuck, no hun. you didn’t do anything…” He blinks, letting out a slow, shaky breath. “i’m just scared.”

“About yesterday? I mean, so am I, but-” You want to hug him, but Papyrus is keeping his distance from you.

He lets out a humorless laugh, the hint of a sob echoing in it. “oh, so much more than that. it’s…” Papyrus grimaces, taking another breath. His chest isn’t heaving quite as much. “please, i can’t explain right now. i need to get my shit together before sans gets home.”

“What? Paps, your brother cares about you,  _ I _ care about you. You can tell us anything.” You reach once more and embrace him. He stiffens, but relents after a moment, hugging you back.

“you weren’t supposed to see me like this,” He murmurs, gripping you tightly. “hun, i really,  _ really _ can’t do this right now, please understand. and don’t say a word to sans. he’d…” You feel something wet fall on your shoulder, and he lets out a frustrated sound. “he doesn’t need to worry about me. you weren’t supposed to either, but i guess i screwed that up, huh?”

“Papyrus…” You say, feeling your own vision start to blur. You take a deep breath and pull back to look up at him. “We’ll talk about this later, right?”

He nods after a moment of hesitation, glancing away. When he looks back at you, he has his trademark grin fixed on his face, and if you hadn’t just seen him you’d think nothing was wrong. You feel so cold, knowing that he’s so skilled at hiding the emotion behind those smiles.

You jump when you hear the scrape of keys in the front door, and it takes you a second to realize Papyrus has vanished from your side and is back at the table, eating his spaghetti. How the hell is he able to do that? Too late, the door is already opening, and you’re standing there in the middle of the kitchen with this half-assed smile on your face.

“Dad, we’re home!” Chara cries out, catching sight of you in the kitchen and running straight for you.

You don’t get a good luck at them before they’ve practically jumped into your arms. You take a step back, pulling them close. You take the moment to straighten out your smile. “Hey, bucko! How was your day? Where did you and Sans…” You pull back at little, catching a strange scent. “Why do you smell like smoke? Sans, where did you–”

You look up towards the door in time to see Sans come inside, followed by a very familiar – and very unexpected – face. You grip Chara tightly as your gaze meets Alphys, a backpack slung over one of her shoulders. She looks a little annoyed, then breaks eye contact to stare at something in the living room.

“GUESS WHO’S GOING TO BE STAYING WITH US, SINCE WE’RE TOO HOT TO HANDLE FOR HER HOUSE?!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't worry, there wasn't a skipped chapter. I'm just a terrible planner.
> 
> Chronicdelusionist's art is too amazing; go be amazed yourself!


	20. They're Setting the Scene

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [ Onadacora's Original Fic ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/5053684/chapters/11621461) \--- [Chronicdelusionist's Comics](http://onadacora.tumblr.com/tagged/underswap-wtmyh/chrono)

Two questions immediately burst from your mouth. “How the heck did her house burn down, and what were you doing there?”

Papyrus is at your side before you notice him there, arms crossed over his chest. “bro, what were you thinking, bringing alphys back here?” he asks, surprisingly stern. You’re reassured by his support. “do you have any idea how bad an idea bringing chara there in the first place was?”

Chara tries to protest as you pry their arms off you and move yourself bodily between them and Alphys. Before you and Papyrus close the gap between you, however, they dash between the pair of you to stand by Sans and Alphys.

“Chara!”

“Dad, wait, we can explain.” They say, holding their head up high. Behind them, Sans wrings his gloved hands, smile straining as nervous sweat springs up on the side of his skull. Alphys huffs, not making eye contact.

You are not in the mood to listen to an explanation. “Kiddo, she tried to kill us. _Yesterday_.” Your attention snaps to Sans. “Why did you bring them to her?” You growl, ignoring the glare Alphys shoots at you.

“AH, WELL, YOU SEE… I CONSIDERED IT BECAUSE ALPHYS IS MY FRIEND!”

“And now she’s mine too! In fact, we’re besties.” You can’t help but flinch when they deliberately step back and pat Alphys shoulder. Apparently the lizard-monster wasn’t expecting it either, if her expression is anything to go by. “She’s not going to hurt me, or you. So please…”

You could never say no to their hopeful smile. “Explanation, then we talk.”

“bro, seriously, why did you bring them?”

Sans looks up at his brother, not quite smiling. “LIKE I SAID, ALPHYS IS MY FRIEND. AND LIKE I WAS TELLING CHARA ON THE WAY THERE…”

* * *

“… I’M POSITIVE YOU AND ALPHYS WILL BECOME THE BEST OF PALS. AFTER ALL, YOUR TRACK RECORD IS ALREADY _SANSATIONAL!_ AS YOU ARE FRIENDS WITH ME, SANS!” The skeleton grins down at Chara, beaming for a moment, before glancing away, suddenly feeling just a little unsure. “WELL, I HOPE THAT ALPHYS IS STILL MY FRIEND, ANYWAY.”

The child seems to hesitate for a moment, but then Sans feels a hand pat his arm. “ _Water_ you talking about, of course she’s still your friend, Sans! And I’m positive she’ll be my friend too,” they say, smiling.

Sans hesitates, and then his huge smile is back. With a hearty laugh, he rests his hands on his hips, the trailing end of his bandana giving an enthusiastic wave. “THAT’S THE SPIRIT, CHARA! NOW, LET’S GET YOU TWO TO BECOME FRIENDS!”

Sans gives Chara’s head an affectionate pat as they step up to the door. He uses his other to knock loudly on the intimidating barrier before them (well, intimidating to the smaller human next to him, anyway). The energetic music that had been echoing from the house goes quiet, and a moment later the smooth scrape of teeth replaces the sound as the home’s entrance opens wide to reveal Alphys. She’s dressed casually in a pair of jeans and a black tank-top that shows off the toned muscles in her arms.

For a split-second her mouth breaks into a friendly smile, then instantly sours as she looks between Sans and Chara.

“HELLO ALPHYS! YOUR PHONE SEEMED TO BE MISSING ALL MY CALLS SO I THOUGHT-”

Alphys turns her back on them with a look of disgust, and the jaws of the door slam shut. There’s a moment of stunned silence as Sans just stares, confused. Beside him, Chara gives a wide-eyed look, seemingly lost.

“Err…”

A muffled roar of anger comes from the inside of the house. Then a loud bang that rattles the windows. Sans’ smile reforms, just in time for Alphys’ door to snap back open.

“I should be kicking your ass right now, you JERK!” Alphys shouts, jabbing a sharp-nailed finger into Sans’ face. Her green eye flicks down to Chara, narrowing. “And YOU. Why are YOU here, you little squirt? Your dad know you’re here?”

Seizing his chance, Sans says, “I THOUGHT WE COULD ALL HANG OUT! SO THAT YOU COULD GET TO KNOW CHARA BETTER, PERHAPS…?” He gives Chara’s head an extra pat for emphasis.

Alphys sneers at him, crossing her arms over her chest. “What, so we can be friends? I’ll NEVER be friends with your humans. How could I betray the hopes and dreams of monsterkind like that?” She starts to turn away again to go back into the house. “So just get lost, you two.”

Sans huffs a loud, overdramatic sigh. “DARN… WHAT A SHAME, CHARA. I WAS SO SURE SHE COULD BECOME AS GOOD OF A FRIEND TO YOU AS I, THE _SANSATIONAL_ SANS. BUT I GUESS… I OVERESTIMATED HER. SHE’S JUST NOT UP TO THE CHALLENGE OF TRUE FRIENDSHIP.”

Freezing in place, Alphys slowly turns to look over her shoulder. “Challenge of true friendship? WHAT?!” She turns all the way to face the human and monster outside her door, gritting her teeth. “Sans, you think I can’t be friends with THEM?” Her head falls back with a humorless laugh. “What a joke! Fine, I ACCEPT. And when we’re done, squirt…” Leaning down, Chara doesn’t even flinch as she presses close, fixing them with a piercing stare. “We’re not just gonna be friends. Ooooh, no. We’ll. Be. BESTIES.”

While Chara follows Alphys into the house, Sans allows himself a smug grin before quickly following.

* * *

“AND THEN WE ALL HAD A LOVELY DAY! ALSO BURNED A HOUSE DOWN, BUT, DETAILS.” Sans finishes up with a tone of hasty finality.

Chara speaks up. “Alphys house is really nice! She has a katana, and _so_ many drawings on the walls.”

You honestly don’t know what to say. At your side, Papyrus shuffles, glancing between his brother and Alphys. She somehow manages to look down on the pair of you, despite being a full head shorter than you.

“And then we had some ramen, and we started talking while Sans got ready to show his latest cooking skills.” Beside Chara, you notice Sans’ forehead start sweating again.

* * *

After an awkward – and very hot – cup of ramen, Chara and Alphys watch each other from across a rather damaged table. Sans is making a racket in the kitchen, getting out pots and pans to start cooking at the lizard-monster’s instruction. As far as she was concerned, if he was going to be at her house, the least he could do was show her how his skills were coming along.

Alphys is much calmer than she was when Chara and Sans first arrived. Instead of being angry she just seems uncomfortable.

Looking around, Chara notices a smaller table set up in the corner of the room. A large sheet of paper is placed on top, with a sketch started. Eager to break the awkwardness, Chara gives her a too-wide smile. “So… What were you drawing?”

“The absolute best hero in human history, Mew Mew!” She says without a second of hesitation. She pauses, eyeing them slowly. “Why? Got a problem with that, squirt?”

“No, no, I-” Chara freezes, staring up across the table at Alphys. “Do you… Like anime?”

“Do. I. Like. Anime?” A chuckle escapes Sans from the kitchen, but Alphys isn’t paying attention. A much more genuine smile eases to her face. “Squirt, I love anime. How else do you think I know so much about human history? Plus, Sans and I bonded over this stuff after cooking lessons. And… wait, if you learn more about drawing this stuff…” Alphys circles the table, seizing Chara by the shoulders and pulling them bodily out of their chair. "WE'LL ONLY BECOME CLOSER THAN YOU CAN EVER IMAGINE!"

Alphys throws her head back with a laugh, running over to one of the many drawers in the corner with Chara tucked under one buff, scaled arm. When she turns around, a fierce grin is on her face and she’s clutching a pile of paper and crayons and colored pencils. “Terrified? We’re going to be best friends!”

“THAT’S THE SPIRIT, ALPHYS!” Sans calls excitedly from the kitchen.

Despite her boisterous challenge, Alphys is surprisingly quick to offer tips for Chara as they start drawing. When Chara reveals a finished flower, she gives an excited cheer, rubbing their hair.

“Not bad, short stuff. You may be a _complete_ akachan, err, baby, but at least you’ve got something going for you,” She laughs. Her expression softens. “Hey. I’m pretty bad at this sort of stuff, so, you know… Ugh. Look, I want to say I guess I’m sorry for trying to kill you. And your dad.”

Chara shrugs, giving Alphys a small smile before looking back to their art. They aren’t quite sure what to draw now. But considering Alphys likes anime… Why not try their favorite star? “It’s okay.”

“That simple, huh?” Alphys scoffs, averting her gaze.

“You were just trying to help monsterkind!”

**So what? They don’t deserve to be helped anymore.**

“So? I somehow doubt your dad is going to just forgive me like that.” Chara swears she sees a frown on the monster’s face. “Not that he should…”

* * *

“She’s right on that count.” You mutter. You feel the hand on your shoulder give a squeeze, and you glance at Papyrus. His smile, however false, reassures you. He’s keeping it together.

Sensing your mood, Chara quickly picks up again.

* * *

Chara shrugs. “Yeah, he won’t.”

“I don’t blame him.” Alphys pauses, then winks at Chara. “Don’t ever tell him, but he was pretty badass yesterday. Gotta give him some credit, he really saved your a- He really saved your butt!”

Chara gives her a toothy grin. “He really is!”

* * *

You have to pretend to cough into your hand at the look of betrayed horror on Alphys’ face.

You can’t help but feel surge of warmth at that remark, though, even if you don’t let it show. “That’s all well and good, but how did the house burn down?”

All three of them pause and look at each other.

* * *

It’s not long into their next sketch that the topic comes back around to anime. Chara is more than happy to share.

“My favorite is Mew Mew Kissie Cutie-”

Alphys’ smile widens and it seems that Sans is pleased as well.

“- Two.”

Chara gets the feeling they might have made a mistake when the atmosphere of the entire room seems to skip a beat. Alphys’ eye twitches. Over her shoulder, Sans’ eyes have gone black, and his arm twitches over the stove.

“Could. You. Say that. Again?” Alphys says, grabbing their attention. They lean back even as Alphys leans forward. “Because I did not just hear that you like that piece of-”

“ALPHYS! THE BURNER WON’T GO DOWN!”

Alphys’s head whips around, and Chara lets out the breath they didn’t realize they were holding as she growls, “That’s because in THIS house, the heat only goes UP!”

“THEN HOW DO YOU SHUT IT OFF?!”

“I was being metaphorical, you DORK!”

“ALPHYS, I HATE TO BOTHER YOU, BUT I WAS BEING, UH, VERY LITERAL!”

Chara is starting to get excited about this.

“Let me do it!” Alphys springs into the kitchen, making a grab at the pan handle.

“BUT I STARTED IT!”

“Ugh, no wonder! This heat isn’t high enough! You’ve got to let the food FEEL THE HEAT OF YOUR PASSION!”

Chara is watching with wide, enamored eyes.

At the back of their mind, Chara can feel the voice’s utter disbelief.

* * *

“Uh, Sans and Alphys got into a fight over…. Cooking! Yeah, because the, uh…”

“Heat wasn’t high enough!” Alphys interjects loudly. Chara winces.

You look between the three of them. Chara has their ‘please love me’ smile plastered on, Alphys is scowling and Sans… Has sweat rolling down his skull. “And again, this led to the house burning down… How?” You ask, already keenly aware of where this is headed.

“OH! WELL, YOU SEE, THINGS WERE HEATING UP SO MUCH, WE SET THE KITCHEN ALIGHT! IT REALLY, UH, BRIGHTENED THINGS UP.” Sans’ attempt at optimism falls a little short; he’s still wringing his gloved hands together.

“It was awesome!” Chara exclaims. You are going to be heavily disappointed in yourself if you’ve raised a pyromaniac.

You look over to Papyrus, just completely unable to understand. How can you just forgive this woman who threatened your child? Looking back to the hopeful expressions before you, you sigh. This is going to be a long day.

“That’s great and all. But I can’t just agree to letting our _near murderer_ here. Yesterday, Sans! Yesterday!”

“But Dad! She’s really sorry about it, like we said.”

“HUMAN, WHILE I MIGHT UNDERSTAND YOUR CONCERN, I MUST DISAGREE.” Sans is looking oddly serious, reminding you of his behavior that morning. “ALPHYS IS MY FRIEND, AND SHE IS IN NEED OF MY ASSISTANCE. IF YOU WERE STUCK OUT IN THE COLD, I WOULD DO THE SAME FOR YOU. AND, WELL, JUST AS I OFFERED THIS HOME TO YOU WHEN YOU NEEDED HELP, SO TOO IS IT WITHIN MY RIGHTS TO OFFER IT TO ALPHYS.”

You can’t think of a thing to say to that. He’s not wrong, but you can’t get behind the thought of Alphys staying in the same house as you and Chara. Not without that green shield thingie, anyway. You’re fumbling for some other argument, aside from ‘she tried to _kill us, everyone, come on_ ’ since you’ve already used that. As you search for something, anything to say, you feel a hand on your back. Glancing over, you see Papyrus looking down at you, a question in his eyes. You feel his support slowly slipping away.

“bro’s got a point,” He says, shrugging. “trust me, i know how you feel. but i’ve got a feeling that if you talk to her, you guys might come to some sort of agreement.”

Your heart grows cold, looking up at Papyrus. Him too? “How can you say that?” You hiss, unable to stop the hurt from creeping into your voice. “ _Especially_ after earlier.” You look pointedly at the table, and you see Papyrus flinch.

“if she still wanted to kill you, she wouldn’t be wasting time being buddies with chara. alphys is many things, but she’s not subtle,” He says, trying to make you understand. But you don’t want to. Why can’t he see how dangerous this is to Chara? Why can’t _anyone_ else see what a terrible idea this is?

The sudden sound of Alphys’ laughter catches you off guard. She rolls her shoulders, beaming up at you. “Papyrus has got that right!” She says, laughing a bit more. “Trust me, if I still wanted to kill you, you’d already know it! But I meant what I said when I gave up on fighting you yesterday, and I am _not_ going back on my word to Sans.” She flings her arm across Sans’ shoulders, pulling him off-balance and digging her knuckles into his skull.

“AHH, ALPHYS! PLEASE DON’T NOOGIE THE SKELETON!” He cries, struggling but hopelessly caught in Alphys’ grip.

“Look,” she says to you, releasing the shorter skeleton. He takes a step away from her with a nervous look, though stops short of putting Chara between him and the lizard-monster on a glare from you. “I get if you don’t like me. Who wouldn’t after yesterday? But I wouldn’t do a thing to upset this bag of bones,” She jerks a thumb at Sans, “And that means being buddy-buddy with you two weenies.”

Chara giggles from next to Sans. Alphys smiles at the sound, and you feel your heart grow heavier.

“So I’ll leave, if you really don’t want me to stay. Just say the word. But do you honestly want to disappoint Sans?” She gives you an accusing look, challenging you.

Sans has a pleading look on his face. Chara is smiling up at you expectedly. Papyrus sighs and shrugs his shoulders. Alphys just waits.

You want to bite back at her, for attacking you like _you_ are the cause of all these problems. But you are, aren’t you? Everyone else seems fine with it. You’re the only one fighting. With a soft sigh, you plaster a polite grin onto your face. “Okay. I can take a hint,” You say.

You look at Papyrus and he gives you a small smile of thanks. With your anger and shock diminished, your thoughts drift to just minutes earlier, and you’re glad that you didn’t make things worse for him.

“WONDERFUL! _SANSATIONAL_!” Sans exclaims, and Chara lets out a high-pitched cheer. “IT’LL BE JUST LIKE A SLUMBER PARTY!”

Alphys wraps an arm around the skeleton, a wide grin on her face as she gives Sans a squeeze. You notice his grin turn into a wince.

“hey bro, where are we tossing alphys to sleep?” Papyrus asks.

“WELL, CHARA AND I AGREED THAT THEY WOULD STAY WITH ME! MY BED IS MORE THAN BIG ENOUGH FOR THE PAIR OF US. AND I SEE NO REASON WHY YOUR _BOYFRIEND_ CAN’T BUNK WITH YOU.” Sans gives his brother a sly look, and you hear Papyrus stutter next to you.

“w-woah, now, you shouldn’t just, uh, say those kinds of things bro! i mean, can’t just go assuming,” Papyrus says, his voice sounding a bit higher than normal. You glance at him and he’s blushing orange. He ducks part of his face into his hood.

“Oh. My. God!” Alphys’ eye widens. “Papyrus. This _human_ is your boyfriend?”

“INDEED HE IS! THEY HAD THE ENTIRE HOUSE ALL TO THEMSELVES. I CAN ONLY IMAGINE THAT TIME MUST HAVE REALLY BEEN OUT OF THIS WORLD. MWEH HEH HEH!” You’re starting to feel your own face heat up as Sans gives a knowing wink (you can’t believe he actually says ‘wink’ in a high voice as he does so).

“Dad, did you and Papyrus go on an adventure today too?” Chara asks, with the kind of innocence only a child can muster.

You feel your sins crawling on your back.

“ _hey_ kiddo, you know what i actually found an old puzzle of mine earlier. why don’t we get you all washed up, eh?” Papyrus blurts out, giving an awkward laugh. He gives Chara a nudge. “you can mess around with it until dinner, you know? i’m sure you’d like to have that smoke smell off of you too.”

Chara’s eyes light up at the sound of puzzles, but narrow a moment later. “ _Dad,_ do I really need to?”

Sans looks confused. Alphys’ lips are twitching, and it looks like she’s trying not to laugh.

“I think so, bucko.” You reach out and tug them back past you toward the stairs. “Go on.”

Chara makes their way up the steps, only pausing to look at you over their shoulder. “I will, but only because I know you won’t talk about all your _adult_ stuff if I don’t go.”

“You know it.” You’re sincerely certain they don’t, in fact, know it. “Now _go_.”

Chara has enough control not to stomp their feet, but they still let out a loud groan of annoyance as they do as they’re told.

Papyrus clears his throat, glancing at you and then away. “we could set you up somewhere else if-”

“No!” You blurt out, interrupting him. Oh God, everyone is watching you and you’re positive your face is bright red. “Err, I mean, I’m good with sticking with you.”

Papyrus’ eyes widen slightly as he looks down at you, orange spreading across more of his face. He gives a short nod, shrugging his shoulder to hide his face in his hoodie for a moment. “wowie, uh, yeah,” he mumbles.

“OH MY GOD! You two are right out of a shoujo, you NERDS!” Alphys roars, howling with laughter.

You’re seriously starting to reconsider your decision.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the _super_ long delay. This past week was midterm week for me (though wow, did it feel like finals instead), and as much as I wanted to get a chapter out, I needed to study. But that's all past us now! Hope you all enjoy!
> 
> Chronicdelusionist draws super sweet stuff! Go check them out!


	21. Smiling for the Guest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [ Onadacora's Original Fic ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/5053684/chapters/11621461) \--- [Chronicdelusionist's Comics](http://onadacora.tumblr.com/tagged/underswap-wtmyh/chrono)

With the house nearly full to the brim with people, it’s easy to avoid being alone with Papyrus. It also helps that he seems to be avoiding any space that isn’t occupied by at least one other person, probably out of fear of you trying to question him. Not that you really feel up to it right now. Even worse, he’s going out of his way to pull even more pranks than usual, going so far as to drive Sans into countering by shrieking puns.

It takes a few minutes for him to calm down again, after much coaxing from Alphys. You never would have thought that she was capable of being so kind with Sans, though your knowledge of the lizard-monster is rather limited. You imagine she must have to do this often, judging from the practiced way she puts herself between the brothers and casts Papyrus an annoyed glare even as she pulls a whoopee cushion off the floor. Papyrus just gives her a big, wide grin, chuckling as he slouches on the couch next to you.

You don’t like this. Despite your hurt over his siding against you, you can’t stop seeing him with his face in his hands, sobbing. He’s _not_ okay. But he manages to hide it perfectly, or at least better than you ever did. How long has he been doing this? Why can’t he just talk it out with you? You want to help him.

Papyrus looks at you, raising an eyebrow as he slips his fingers between yours. You let him, trying to smile right back at him. With Alphys and Sans distracted, he leans closer to you. “hey, you alright? i thought smiles were supposed to be shaped like a ‘u,’” He murmurs.

You can’t help but stare at him. “Are you kidding me right now?” You hiss.

“what? hun, you just looked upset,” He says, giving you a hurt look.

“Gee, wonder why,” You snap. You take back your hand and stand from the couch, ignoring the startled look on Papyrus’ face. “I’m going to get dinner started,” You say, loud enough for everyone to hear you.

You don’t bother waiting for a response before leaving the room.

You regret it immediately once you step into the kitchen. He’s just worried about you, but is it that hard to understand why you’re upset? The woman who just tried to _kill you_ yesterday is now living on the couch downstairs, and you’re supposed to just accept that?

God, why can’t it just be this morning? Before any of this mess, before you saw Papyrus in here…

Grimacing to yourself, you start pulling ingredients out of the fridge (you actually store more than leftover hot dogs and hamburgers in here now) you nearly squash a tomato as you grab it. Grimacing to yourself, you remind yourself to be more gentle with the rest of the produce.

Normally Papyrus would be keeping you company in the kitchen, or Chara. But everyone else is in the living room, and you’re all alone in here. Their voices carry through the house, but suddenly you’re struck with a familiar sense of loneliness. But you chose this, right? _You_ came in here, _you’re_ the one who snapped at Papyrus for just reaching out to you, even if he is being a hypocrite…

You let out a quiet sigh and get to work on dinner, letting your mind wander as you focus on the task at hand. See, it’s much easier this way. Just do what will make everyone happier. Papyrus doesn’t want to talk right now? Okay, fine, you won’t push. As you take a saucepan and turn on the heat, you wonder if you’re just making another huge mistake with all of this.

“So, what’s cooking?”

You jump, startled by Alphys’ sudden presence in the kitchen. Her voice is loud (not quite as loud as Sans’) and forceful, much like herself. Papyrus is right; Alphys is _not_ subtle.

The lizard-monster comes up beside you, squinting down into the pan as you start making the sauce. She’s never been this close to you before, and you realize that she really is about Sans’ height, if just a tad taller than him. If not for Papyrus and Asgore, you’d be a giant to some of these monsters.

Wait. Asgore. Neither you nor Chara had tried calling the friendly old man at all since you’d left the Ruins. Should you have? It’s not like he’s reached out to you either…

“Spaghetti,” You blurt out, realizing you’ve been staring at Alphys blankly instead of answering her. You let out a chuckle and smile at her. “Spaghetti with some vegetables and meatballs. At least, I think they’re meatballs…” Nothing seems to be made of actual meat down here. _Magic._

“Ugh, Papyrus has all of you eating that sauce?” She says, sounding disgusted. “Why not just make some ramen if you want something fast?”

Alright, that’s… Actually true. Still, a home cooked meal tastes better, and Lord knows Chara shouldn’t be surviving on ramen of all things. You resist the urge to tell her that. You also make a mental note to check out if there is any ramen at the store, since Alphys is sticking around.

You shrug, turning to finish laying out the sauce. “It’s all we have in the house right now. Besides, Paps isn’t making anyone eat this. Though he _can_ knock the stuff back like a shot.” You hear a snort beside you, and you can’t help but grin as you finish your preparations. That grin plummets the moment you turn and see Alphys fiddling with the stove, turning the element up to its highest possible setting.

“There we go! Nice and hot, like it’s supposed to be.” She says, wiping her hands and proudly overlooking the burner as it flares up before her.

“Stop, stop!” You shout, pushing her out of the way and turning the heat back down. “There’s been one house burnt down today, let’s not make it two.”

“Seriously? Come on, this needs to be hotter!” She insists, starting to move around you toward the stove again.

You don’t move, but put a smile on. “Hey, I get that you want to help. But it would be incredibly rude to make a guest cook, especially the first night here, y’know?”

Alphys gives you a look that screams ‘I smell bullshit,’ but after a moment of pleasantly smiling back, she rolls her eye and groans. “Fine, but don’t come crawling to me when it tastes like garbage.”

“Hey, I’ve eaten literal garbage, and it wasn’t that bad,” You say, slowly making your way back to finish preparing the sauce. “Besides, I’ve been making food for myself since I was practically Chara’s age. I’ve totally got this.”

“Feh, whatever,” Alphys says, though you notice her snout twitch in amusement despite herself. She doesn’t take her eye off of you as she moves away to lean against the back of a chair. “How old is Chara, anyway?”

“Six,” You say, chopping up the waiting parsley.

“And you’re their dad, right? You don’t look too old.” You can feel her dark brown eye boring into the back of your head.

“Well, I sure hope so. I’m only twenty-one, after all,” You answer good-naturedly.

You hear Alphys exhale sharply. For a moment you’re not sure if she’s going to say anything. “Chara is a good kid. Better than me at that age. I was such a punk,” She says, and you can hear her sit down, judging by the scrape of a chair. “I picked fights with everyone; wanted to prove I was the strongest hero of the underground. Even barged right into Queen Toriel’s castle and challenged her to try and prove I _was_. Emphasis on TRIED. I couldn’t land a single hit on her! And worse, all she would do was fling me back! Not even a scratch.”

You glance over your shoulder to look at Alphys. She’s got a reminiscent grin on her face, and the way she’s just standing there in the kitchen with you, keeping you company… Well, this whole ‘playing nice’ thing was always rather easy for you. But it’s clear to see she’s honest right now. This is the side of Alphys that Sans became friends with. The side that Chara saw when they went to her house.

“I was so humiliated,” Alphys continues, shrugging her shoulders. “Afterwards she apologized and invited me to eat with her. Asked me… ‘My child, do you wish to know how to beat me?’ I said ‘Of course!’ and from then on, she trained me.”

“The Queen? She trained you?” You ask, surprised. That’s pretty badass, but you weren’t going to say that.

“Yeah! She’s tough, but she’s got a big heart,” She says, and you can hear the friendly affection in her voice. “So, one day, during practice, I finally knocked her down. I felt… Bad. But she was beaming! I had never seen someone so proud to get their butt kicked. I’m rambling; point is, she kept training me. And now I’m head of the Royal Guard!”

You look back at her again, and she’s got a faraway look in her eye. After a second, she catches you looking. “Sorry, zoned out. The point I was _trying_ to make is that you kinda remind me of her.”

“Of Toriel…?” You suppose that it’s a compliment, but given how little you know about her, you can only assume.

“Yeah,” She says, snickering. “You’re both such MOMS.”

“What? How on earth did you get that?” You feel your face heat up as you try to glare at Alphys. She’s full out laughing now. “Because I tried protecting two little kids?”

Her laughter dies in a heartbeat. “Look, I said it to Chara, and I mean it just as much as I meant it then: I am sorry for trying to kill you yesterday.”

“I accept your apology,” You say carefully, thrown off by the bitter smile on Alphys’ face. “But I hope you understand if I can’t just _forgive_ you as easily as they can.”

“I’d be disappointed if you did,” She says.

You can’t help it, but for some reason that makes you just a tiny bit proud.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here ya go folks! Sorry for the slightly shorter-then-average chapter. My classes also are starting up again, so updates will continue to be their nice and spread out selves, but I'll keep them coming.
> 
> Chronicdelusionist is pretty awesome, ya'll. You should check out their art in the link above!


	22. Bone to be Wild

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [ Onadacora's Original Fic ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/5053684/chapters/11621461) \--- [Chronicdelusionist's Comics](http://onadacora.tumblr.com/tagged/underswap-wtmyh/chrono)

It’d be easy to rejoin everyone in the living room. Dinner is simmering, and will be for another twenty minutes but you’re just not ready. You still don’t feel like you can handle Papyrus’ hypocrisy, and talking to Alphys has left you conflicted. Now that she’s not chucking axes in your direction, you can sort of see how Sans is friends with her… But you’re not okay with this.

A loud squeal of laughter you instantly recognize as Chara’s reminds you why you agreed to this at all. It’s not like you had a choice, really. Everyone you care about was telling you to reconsider, so didn’t you owe it to them to listen and stop causing trouble? What would you even have done otherwise, left? Where would you go? This home has been the first place you’ve felt _wanted_... Ever.

And Chara likes Alphys. Not that you set your life choices by the whims of a six-year-old, but Chara has been so happy here with these people… How can you be the one to put that at risk?

Of course, you already knew that. It’s not the first time you’ve nearly screwed everything. ( _"Why can’t you just do as told? Every time you try something you screw up, so why do you keep doing it?”_ )

You take a deep breath, clenching your fists until your skin goes white. You’re not sure what to think anymore.

“if looks could kill, i’d say that stove would be dust in a flash. but then how would we cook?”

Gasping, you whirl around to see Papyrus leaning against the counter next nearby. Heart pounding in your chest and panic singing under your skin, you clutch a hand over your sternum and grab the edge of the stove to keep yourself steady.

“Fucking _hell_ ,” You snap, desperately trying to hold an annoyed look on your face, and not the scared expression you want to make. “Warning, Paps, come on,” You choke out, gulping for air. _Fuck_.

“shit, hun, I’m sorry,” Papyrus says, and you can feel him standing in front of you, taking your hands in his. He slowly rubs your knuckles to try and get you to relax your fingers. “i thought we were getting better with that. i can’t do a thing right today, can i?”

You look up at him, pulling your mouth into a too-tight smile. “I dunno, you did me pretty alright earlier.’

Papyrus stares blankly down at you for a second before his face lights up in a blush. “err, well i’d, uh, say you showed me a better time than i did.”

You can’t help but chuckle at the embarrassed look on Papyrus’ face, and you feel your smile loosen up. It takes a moment, but you’re starting to feel okay again.

“a little better?” He asks, still rubbing your hands.

You nod. “Yeah, I’m cool. Cool as a cucumber. What’s up?” You ask, sounding (hopefully) cheerful. He gives your hands a squeeze before releasing you.

“well, i wanted to thank you for not saying anything to sans, and for agreeing to let alphys stay. that couldn’t have been easy, and all the good intentions my bro has doesn’t stop the fact that he put you in a tight spot.” Papyrus shrugs a bit helplessly. “he can be a bit of a bonehead.”

You let out a snort. “Must run in the family then.”

Papyrus lets out a soft groan, clearly realizing his accidental joke. “apparently so,” He pinches the bridge of his nose cavity. You’d normally be amused by the exchange, but…

You shake your head despite yourself. You really want to bring it up, that you really aren’t okay with Alphys being here, or that the image of Paps curled over that table won’t leave your mind.

“hey,” He says gently, wrapping an arm around you after a moment of hesitation. You lean against him, enjoying the comfort of his puffy hoodie. Shoot, you should be comforting him! “i know you’re not comfortable with alphys being here still, so if you want, i can talk with her. it wouldn’t be a problem, and if it would help you -”

“Pap, no,” You blurt out, tensing against him. “I’m fine, but you aren’t and it hurts to know without knowing why.”

He doesn’t speak. You’re already regretting your outburst, waiting for the push away to come. Instead, you feel Papyrus’ head rest on your own. “today was supposed to be a good day, you know?” He murmurs.

You hold him tighter. “It still can be. You can pretend all you want, but please talk to me, Paps. Or talk to Sans! You know he’d drop everything in a flash for you.”

Apparently that isn’t the right thing to say, if the choked sob Papyrus lets out is any indication. “y-yeah, he would. and that’s why i can’t.”

“Can’t talk? Papyrus, please. I’m worried about you.” You murmur, one hand rubbing his back. He doesn’t respond for a moment, the only sounds you hear his heavy breathing and some laughter from the living room.

“damn it, i just… i’m happy. you know that? you make it so much easier for me to just keep going.” You feel him tense against you, his voice trailing off. You lean back, feeling your heart twist at the sight of his eyes clenched tightly shut. “there’s… a lot happened. before you came down. but you’re here now, and…”

He falls silent, meeting your eyes. Papyrus looks so fragile right now, unable to say anything. Suddenly he’s kissing you, and you let him. This, at least, you know how to do. No words are needed here.

“Eww, Dad! Are you and Papyrus _kissing_?”

Nothing could make the pair of you leap apart faster than the sound of an affronted child. Heat rushing to your cheeks, you turn to see Chara at the entrance, their face scrunched up in a picture of disgust.

“uh, yeah, kiddo.” Papyrus says, not even a hint of a shake in his voice. How can he manage that? “hope you don’t mind too much.”

There’s a moment where Chara doesn’t respond, just stares at the skeleton, and you’re almost start to panic thinking they might _actually_ mind, but then they roll their eyes. “I _guess_ it’s okay.”

“G-good. Glad to have your permission, bucko.” Papyrus starts leaning back down for another kiss. You hear Chara making noises, but you’re rather focused on the skeleton in front of you.

“we’ll talk more once they go to sleep, okay? i… i want to talk.”

You try not to think about how empty those words sound, instead answering with another kiss.

* * *

 

Papyrus thought the night couldn’t get any worse. Nearly breaking down in front of you, and then Alphys being thrown into the mess threw you into a tight spot that he had no way of helping you out of. At least Papyrus could feel proud of his promise to explain himself to you… Or as much as he could, anyway.

What he did not need, however, was his brother cornering him when everyone else was busy.

The moment the bedroom door closes (“I CAN’T POSSIBLY HAVE THE LARGE HUMAN SLEEPING IN YOUR MESS OF A ROOM WITHOUT INSPECTION, PAPYRUS!”), Sans whirls on him. “BROTHER! I SHALL HOLD MY TONGUE NO LONGER!”

“you sure that’s a good idea, bro? i mean, you might lose it that way.”

A tired frown meets Papyrus’ attempt at a joke. “PAPYRUS. YOU ARE NOT GETTING OUT OF THIS. WHILE THE HUMAN HAS BEEN HERE, YOU HAVE BEEN MUCH HAPPIER, CORRECT?”

Leaning against the wall, Papyrus nods. “never better, bro.”

“AND THAT IS WONDERFUL!” Sans allows himself a brief smile before returning to his serious gaze. “THEY HAVE NOT DONE A SINGLE THING TO HURT YOU, CORRECT?”

Papyrus blinks. “uh, no, bro, not at all. where’s this all coming from?”

“PAPYRUS, AS YOUR ELDER BROTHER, I AM SIMPLY TRYING TO LOOK OUT FOR YOU. AND DESPITE THE _BONE-RATTLING_ GOOD TIME I’M SURE THE TWO OF YOU HAD THIS MORNING, YOU HAVE NOT LET UP ON YOUR PRANKS ALL DAY.”

“course not, bro. had to welcome alphys the only way i could.” Papyrus tries to ignore the blush surely dusting his cheekbones.

Sans lets out a sigh, crossing his arms. His bandana flickers half-heartedly as his voice lowers. “Brother, I know how you deal with stress. Something upset you today, and it pains me. Your _boyfriend_ seemed annoyed with you too.” Sans shakes his head, eye lights dim. “Can’t you tell me what’s wrong?”

Sometimes Papyrus wishes his brother wasn’t quite this observant.

“bro, i- ”

A knock at the door saves Papyrus from responding. You open the door, Chara at your side. “Hey, uh, sorry to interrupt but the little one here is just about ready for bed time.”

From the look on Sans face, he doesn’t seem to be quite so happy with this. “well, you heard the man, sans.” Papyrus says, taking the opportunity for what it is.

“VERY WELL, BROTHER. BUT I’LL REMIND YOU THAT CHARA AND I DESERVE A _SANSATIONAL_ STORY TONIGHT.”

“Dad, I can stay up longer!” The kid shoots a glance to Papyrus, and he can’t help but think how _young_ they look. “But a story sounds pretty cool too.”

Your lip twitches, the way it always does when you’re hiding some response. How many times did you stay up with them, until Chara fell asleep in your arms? From what you’ve told Papyrus, it was a lot. Did Sans do the same with him? Probably, but he can’t remember too early into his life. All he remembers was Sans congratulating him on his work, and his early cooking attempts. He distantly wonders how they ever survived between their combined culinary ineptitude, but your expression snaps him out of it before he can think about it too hard.

You look at him, an eyebrow raised. “Something on my face?”

“no,” Papyrus says, sauntering over and leaning down to nuzzle your cheek. Leaning back to the sound of his laughing brother, Papyrus winks. “though you do look a little red now. wonder why that is.”

Your sputtering and blushing warms his soul, and Papyrus realizes he can’t keep you in the dark about everything. You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to him, and he knows he can’t let you go.

* * *

 

You’re honestly a bit surprised with how fast Papyrus moves to leave the house once storytime is over. Then again, you had to drag yourself away from watching Sans and Chara passed out on the older skeleton’s spaceship bed. At the very least, there’s another couple of pictures in your phone.

You breathe in the frigid nighttime air, already feeling the tips of your ears numbing. It’s a beautiful night, but you suppose every night has been. Would Papyrus think the same thing, if he was on the surface at night? Probably, but it’s not exactly something that will be happening anytime soon… Or ever, you suppose.

Out of the corner of your eye, a shadow moves alongside the house. “Hello?”

“what’s up, hun? besides the snow.”

“I could’ve sworn there was something watching us…” You say, peering into the shadows. There are paw prints leading up to the house, then away into the forest.

“must’ve been that annoying dog. always going and stealing my bones, the little rascal. sans loves the scamp.” Papyrus says. You glance up at him and notice he’s lit himself a cigarette. You absentmindedly wonder where he stores the things… Wait. Stealing bones? Where are these not-exactly-corporeal bones stored?

The question goes unasked as Papyrus takes your hand. “c’mon, let’s talk.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A Halloween update? It's more likely then you'd think. I do hope you all enjoy! P.S. Save some candy for me
> 
> Chronicdelusionist draws the best embarrassed adults. Check them out~


	23. Who Cares About You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [ Onadacora's Original Fic ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/5053684/chapters/11621461) \--- [Chronicdelusionist's Comics](http://onadacora.tumblr.com/tagged/underswap-wtmyh/chrono)

You walk in silence for a while, finally having the chance to talk but unsure of how to approach things. Papyrus is not doing much better, his fingers shaking slightly as he holds his cigarette.

His brief outburst in the kitchen replays in your mind. He wouldn’t say that to you if he didn’t still care, so that little voice muttering fears of abandonment is easily shushed. If anything, Papyrus must be thinking _you_ would leave if you knew… Whatever it is he’s been bottling up.

Around you, the town has fallen away to forest. You remember when Papyrus took you here, walked you out to this beautiful spot. Well, second most beautiful, now, according to him. He leads you to a further spot, one with some rocks to sit on.

The setting is rather calming, though, honestly, you really just want to know what’s wrong. You’ve been pushing Papyrus to talk so much, and he’s obviously not entirely comfortable with it… But he’s been telling you again and again you did nothing wrong. You just want him to be happy, not hiding his pain.

Papyrus sits down, patting the cold stone next to him with a soft click against his skeletal hand. He tries to hold a smile, but you can only see him grimacing. His eye sockets look sunken, staring down at you as if searching for what to say. You accept his offer in silence, giving your best supportive smile.

A shaky breath escapes the skeleton before you, which is your only warning before Papyrus’ arms pull you against him. “i still can’t believe this is real. that i won’t just wake up and find out i’ve dreamt it all.”

“Papyrus, that sounds like something I should be saying.” You let out a soft chuckle. “I mean, monsters under a mountain? Dating a walking, talking skeleton with a _magic_ tongue?”

A sad laugh escapes him. “i guess it does sound like you’re the one dreaming.”

“Right?” You give a little squeeze before pulling back to look Papyrus in the face. His bones are creased, as if like skin. God, you hate seeing him like this. “Papyrus, this is real life, as crazy as it sounds. I’m here, with you. Don’t feel sad, okay?”

“i was so ready to, though. was ready to see you and chara off as you headed to… to try and reach the surface.” He says, shaking his head and pressing his forehead against your shoulder. “…it wasn’t supposed to get this far.”

“Papyrus,” You whisper, pulling him closer to you. ( _“We were never supposed to get this far!”_ )

“i _can’t_ trust this. it’s too damn good to be true. i’m just waiting for the other shoe to drop on this long-haul prank,” He says, pulling back to stare down at you. “the more i let you in, the more it’s gonna hurt when you’re gone.”

“I’m not leaving, Paps. I could never do that to you. Why would you even think that?” You say, and fuck, you hope you don’t look as hurt as you feel when he shakes his head, as if not believing you. “Look, I get it. Seems like it can’t be real. But this is real, and this is life. I’ve felt like that before, that everything was gonna just fall away – and it did! Fuck, did it happen a lot. But not now.” Not with Papyrus.

“nobody else could understand this. this, this wait for it all to end.” Papyrus shakes his head, trying to pull his arms away from you. His eye sockets are watering as he looks down at where you refuse to let him go. With a shaky breath, he stops fighting and lets you cup his face. “you shouldn’t have to understand. you don’t deserve to feel like this, have your hope all stripped away.”

“And neither do you.” You pull his skull down to you, pressing a hard kiss to his forehead. He lets you, his arms returning your waits. “What happened, Papyrus? What did this to you?” You ask him, your own voice thick with your vision blurring.

“fuck, i just can’t. _please_ don’t ask…” He says, and you can feel warm, wet tears running over your hands. He’s shaking. Your heart aches at the sight, and you can feel your own tears slipping down your cheeks. “…lost so many. so many people i cared about, all gone. i think everything is fine, and then it’s just… gone. i… sans has been the only one i’ve let myself care about in a long time.”

“I’m sorry,” You say, because what else _can_ you say? He’s already saying so much, and it’s hurting him. You want to press for more, to help more than just words, but you refuse to make him. Instead, releasing his skull, you maneuver yourself off the rocks to instead stand and pull him into a hug.

You feel Papyrus tighten against you, embracing your support and gripping to the back of your shirt. How could he have kept this bottled up? Even you had a couple of people to rant to back home, but if he’s refused to worry Sans, and he’s not even that close to anyone else… How long has it been since _anyone_ has comforted him? The thought brings on a fresh wave of sadness, hugging him even tighter. Would he have ever told you, if you hadn’t stumbled upon him in the kitchen? What is so painful that suffering alone is the choice he picked? You realize you’re shivering, but if it’s from the cold or your own emotions, you can’t tell. … Probably the cold.

Papyrus takes a long, rough breath, a strangled noise escaping him as he tries to calm his voice. His fingers flex against your back, then relax slightly. He hasn’t tried to pull back yet. You don’t want him to, not until he’s ready.

“I’m not leaving you,” You tell him again, rubbing soothing circles along his shoulder blades. “I’m still right here.”

“i’m terrified, hun,” He says, when he finds his voice. “i’m _happy_ and i’m scared of losing you.” His voice goes hollow, and you feel his grip loosen. “it was so much easier before i let myself care.”

“Sure, it can null it a little,” You admit, pulling back and pushing him away so you can look up at him. He blinks, tears still slowly trailing down his face. His eye sockets look sunken. “But why be sad, right? Why not take a chance and maybe be happy? You’re not always gonna have shit luck.”

“nyeh, good one,” He says, and he sounds so gutted and hopeless.

“It isn’t a joke,” You tell him, yanking him down for another hard kiss to his mouth. His silent response twists your heart. Your fingers tighten into his back as you plant kisses across his face. Anything to stop that emptiness in his voice. “You don’t need to fake it for me, but Paps please… Don’t give up on me.”

“i’m not giving up on you. it’s the universe, it’s _everything_.” He’s gone limp, one hand resting on your thigh. “we can’t do a thing about it.”

“Maybe you can’t stop worrying, but accept happiness. You deserve to be happy, for your own sake. The future is still gonna happen, but you can’t guess it. So enjoy the moment. Here. With me.”

“i’d like to. i want to,” He says, and a glimmer of emotion echoes in his voice. You press kisses to his jaw and he turns into them, sighing.

“I want to, too. So let me support you, the way you support me. If we can’t be happy, can we at least be sad together?” You murmur. He’s sinking lower against the rock, feet digging into the snow. “You don’t have to stay strong all the time.”

“i… i _care_ about you, so much,” He says, and you wonder at the reason for his hesitation. Something in your stomach flutters, but you dismiss it. Now isn’t the time. “I _am_ so happy with you. i don’t want you to think i’m not. i’m just… so scared.”

“I getcha,” You say. “I’m scared too, you know? But I’m here with you. You’re not alone.”

 _You’re_ not alone either. It’s hard to remember it’s not you and Chara against the world, but as Papyrus pulls you back into his arms and pulls you snug against his chest, you feel it. He’s been there for you, caring for you for so much time, you’re glad that you could comfort him somehow. Why he’s so scared, you still don’t know, but there’s no denying what he’s feeling. Hopefully he’ll tell you everything so you can understand better, but that doesn’t matter right now. You just want Papyrus to be okay.

You feel Papyrus slowly relax, his breathing growing easier. He’s not trembling anymore. He sounds exhausted when he mumbles into your shoulder. “thank you. for being here. for caring about me enough to make me talk and not put up with my crap.”

“Anytime,” You says softly, trailing your fingers across his ribs. He makes a pleased little hum. “Feel a little better with that off your chest?”

He makes a weak, affirmative noise, nuzzling the side of your face. “it helps.”

“You need to take care of yourself. And let us help, silly! You got people who really care about you.”

Papyrus doesn’t answer. You realize he’s fallen asleep.

Well, it is a beautiful night, and you have a beautiful view. The pair of you can return in a bit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What's this? A chapter update within a week? Madness!
> 
> But here you are: a lovely, heartfelt conversation. Hope you all enjoy!
> 
> P.S. Chronicdelusionist is incredible. Also, creator of official ship name, as signed by Onadacora: Swapapeacon.


	24. Stranger Things

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [ Onadacora's Original Fic ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/5053684/chapters/11621461) \--- [Chronicdelusionist's Comics](http://onadacora.tumblr.com/tagged/underswap-wtmyh/chrono) \--- [My Tumblr](http://darrelodin.tumblr.com/)

Papyrus wakes up, and for the first time in a long time, doesn’t remember what he dreamed about. Perhaps it was something pleasant, or comforting. Light is peeking through his window when he opens his eyes, and he’s surprised that it’s already morning. Not a single nightmare or insomnia to wake him up this night. Once you’d woken him up and gotten him home, at least.

You’re lying beside him, still asleep. Papyrus can’t help the smile that widens on his face as he takes in the sight of you, your expression peaceful. One arm underneath your pillow, the other resting on his thigh bone. The gentle rise and fall of your chest as you sleep, a soft smile on your lips. He reaches out, hesitating as he takes a moment to brush his fingers against the curve of your cheek. Your lips twitch a little, curving into a small smile and then relaxing again, a small pleased hum sounding deep in your throat.

He removes his hand, not wanting to wake you as he extracts himself from your grasp. You make a soft sound before rolling over and continuing to sleep.

Who needs a note reminding him that time hasn’t reset when you’re right here? Waking up with you beside him, a calm and wonderful reminder that the two of you are still together… He could get used to this. He feels grounded instead of disoriented. You’re a rock holding him up.

He just hopes it never crumbles.

Frowning at himself, Papyrus shakes his head in annoyance. _Nope_. He’s not going down that route. Not today. Not after you sat there for him. He’s going to listen to you, as best he can, and focus on the happiness in the moment. The moment of waking up and seeing you here with him is a good one, and not one he wants fear to sour.

He is glad you didn’t press him for more of the truth, for _why_ he’s so worried. He doesn’t like lying to you, but… Well, saying “hey hun, i think your kid might actually be manipulating time. oh, and they can’t remember doing it either, but i do!” isn’t fair to you or the kid. He could just approach Chara alone about it – he’s done it before, a couple of times, and boy, did that go poorly – but would it even change anything? They haven’t shown any sign of wanting to do anything, so for now all he can do is hope Chara won’t do anything drastic as long as everyone is happy.

No, Papyrus is sure the truth won’t do you any good. Either you call him crazy, or you’ll keep going deeper, asking the questions he _really_ doesn’t want to answer. How can he tell a father he’s killed their child before? How does he explain that he thinks that child was somehow… _Wrong_. Not themselves. He still doesn’t understand why Chara is so different sometimes.

So if everything goes the way he hopes it does, with not a single Reset and everyone happy, then why bother worrying you over it? He’d rather you remain free from that painful truth. It isn’t your burden to bear.

As for _why_ he can even recall the Resets in the first place… He doesn’t want to think about it, much less talk about it.

But knowing that you’ll be there for those moments where it all just overwhelms him, for the days that are harder than the others and it’s difficult to keep on the mask, it’s… Such a comfort. He doesn’t think you understand just what it means to him. You aren’t trying to fix the problem, like he’s positive Sans would. You were right; Sans would drop everything for him if he thought something was wrong – and he’d never forgive himself if that happened. Their childhood was filled with that, and no matter what Sans says, Papyrus knows his aid came at a cost to his brother. And besides, his help just wouldn’t work, not in the way he’d want. Sans has enough to deal with when it comes to Papyrus for him to want to add any more. Besides, Papyrus would much rather just admire his brother’s upbeat and outrageously optimistic attitude. Seeing Sans happy – and even affectionately annoyed with him – is a comfort for Papyrus. It’s a constant facet of the Resets he never gets tired of. He’s been one of the few things keeping him from just giving up entirely.

Careful not to disturb you, Papyrus brushes a soft, toothy kiss to your forehead and untangles himself from you. As he pulls on his hoodie, he takes a moment to consider you as you lay there on his bed, sleeping.

The blanket is crumbled around your waist, leaving your top half exposed. Papyrus takes hold of it and pulls it up to your shoulder, smoothing it along your side. He hesitates a moment, before leaning down and nuzzling your forehead softly. “be back in a flash, hun. you get some more rest,” He murmurs to you, knowing you can’t hear him.

He closes the bedroom door as quietly as he can when he leaves the room. The only light on downstairs is coming from the kitchen, which surprises him. Alphys never was much of an early riser, but she still got up earlier than him. What time is it? He never even thought to check. But Sans _is_ an early riser, so he’s surprised that his brother hasn’t woken the others up.

As Papyrus goes down the stairs, hands shoved in his pockets, he realizes that he doesn't even have to remind himself to put that grin on his face. He's already smiling.

Alphys is curled up on the couch, blanket wrapped tightly around herself, her yellow, scaly tail peeking out. From past experiences, Papyrus knows Alphys is wearing just a pair of shorts and a tank top. You wear a little more than that, sweats and a t-shirt, but he wouldn’t mind seeing you in just that. Papyrus has to pause for a moment at that. Alphys should _not_ be inspiring those kind of thoughts. It’s just strange.

Distracted as he is, it takes him a moment to spot Chara’s head poking out from underneath the blanket. He can only assume Alphys has an arm wrapped around them, keeping them close by. Papyrus is glad to see the two of them getting along at least, though he can only hope you’re okay with it.

The faint sound of scraping coming from the kitchen catches his attention, and Papyrus continues through the room. Sans is standing at the counter, mixing – that is not burgers, or hot dogs or anything that his brother has made before. It looks like… pancake batter? A lot of the recipes you’ve tried making haven’t exactly worked out, but he’s pretty sure this one did, and they were called pancakes.

Sans catches sight of him out of the corner of his eye, looking over at the entryway with a startled look on his face. “PAP, YOU’RE UP EARLY,” He says, like he can’t believe his eyes. Papyrus supposes that this _is_ somewhat out of character for himself. “I TAKE IT THE LARGE HUMAN IS STILL ASLEEP?”

“you got it, bro. guess we’re running this house all alone,” Papyrus says. “no skeletons in the closet today.”

“IT IS TOO EARLY FOR YOUR STRANGE SAYINGS, BROTHER.”

“never too early for young wisdom,” Papyrus says, glancing back at the couch. “alphys kidnap chara or somethin’?”

Sans frowns into the bowl before him. “I TRIED TO GET THEM UP WITH ME WHEN I WOKE UP, BUT UNFORTUNATELY THEY SEEM TO HAVE YOUR _CHARA_ CTER TRAIT AND BARELY MADE IT TO THE COUCH BEFORE SUCCUMBING.” He glances toward the couch and sighs. “I SEE ALPHYS AWOKE JUST ENOUGH TO EN _WRAP_ TURE THEM AS WELL.”

“bro, too early. you sure you aren’t trying to make me go back to sleep?” Papyrus groans, throwing a glare at Sans. Sans just grins at him.

“WHY, I WOULD NEVER!” The short skeleton’s smile shrinks, and Pap feels the mood shift. “NOW, BROTHER, I TAKE IT YOU AND THE HUMAN HAD A GOOD, LONG TALK LAST NIGHT? ABOUT THINGS THAT I’M SURE YOU DON’T WANT TO TELL LITTLE OLD ME?”

Skirting around his brother, Papyrus opens up a cabinet and starts walking away. A tell-tale glow from one of his fingers is the only sign of magic before the container of instant coffee he’s seen you use before is placed near the stove. “we talked, yeah. just private stuff though, you wouldn’t enjoy it.” He shrugs.

“WELL, CONSIDERING YOUR MOOD, I CAN ASSUME WHATEVER IT WAS YOU DISCUSSED HAS HELPED YOU CONSIDERABLY.” Sans pauses in his cooking to point at the tall skeleton. “BUT I AM HERE FOR YOU, BROTHER. REMEMBER THAT. AND STOP WASTING MAGIC TO GET THINGS! YOU HAVE ARMS, USE THEM!”

“but bro, i gotta exercise my magic too.”

“PERHAPS BY JOINING ALPHYS AND I IN TRAINING?”

“your radical ideas are too much for me.” Papyrus fills up the kettle and sets it on an open burner, giving his brother a companionable pat on the back. He actually has to raise his arm a smidge, what with Sans standing on a stool. “i’m gonna to have to sleep on that one.”

“BROTHER, PLEASE. AT THIS RATE, YOU’LL BE PUTTING ME TO SLEEP,” Sans says in a deadpan voice that makes Papyrus laugh.

“what’s up with this new dish, by the way? i didn’t know you were learning to make things other than grill food,” Papyrus says, opening the silverware drawer and plucking a spoon out with magic.

“I HAVE BEEN OBSERVING THE COOKING YOUR HUMAN DOES, WHEN HE LETS ME. THOUGH HIS COOKING STYLE IS NOT QUITE AS, UH, EXPLOSIVE AS ALPHYS’ WAY OF DOING THINGS, I MUST ADMIT THING _PAN_ OUT A TAD BIT BETTER AS WELL.” Sans gives a nervous little chuckle. “I’M HOPING THAT A HEARTY BREAKFAST WILL ENCOURAGE CHARA TO WAKE UP.”

“ah, you and the kiddo have some more plans today?” Papyrus hesitates, before scooping a healthy serving of sugar into the mug. You do put that much in, right? He has watched you make this a couple of times before, and doesn’t want to get it wrong.

“WE BOTH STILL HAVE WORK, BROTHER, AS YOU WELL KNOW!” He responds, wagging his stirring spoon at him accusingly. A dollop of pancake batter falls to the counter. “NO MORE SLACKING OFF WITH ALPHYS OR YOUR _BONEFRIEND_ HERE.”

“no idea what you’re talking about, bro. it’s hard work staying awake.” Papyrus grins at his brother, resisting the urge to blush. “besides, doesn’t alphys have to work too? why can she slack off and i can’t, eh?”

The low whistle of the kettle cuts off any retort Sans might make. Papyrus fetches it from the stove and pours the boiling water into the mug, stirring. He's not sure what Alphys’ plans for the day are, but he has a feeling you won't want to stay home playing nice with her. He thinks he'll invite you to spend the day with him at his station, if you're up for it.

“well, wouldn’t want joe here to get cold. be back in a few,” Papyrus says, taking the hot mug in his hands and heading to the living room.

“I’LL HOLD YOU TO THAT!”

* * *

You wake up to the feeling of warm, smooth fingers stroking up and down your back, Papyrus’ raspy voice coaxing you out of sleep. When your eyes open to reveal a pillow, you roll over to your back and onto the skeleton’s leg. He’s sitting beside you, dressed and with a steaming mug in one hand. You catch the familiar scent of coffee.

Letting out a silent yawn, you arch your back as you stretch, reaching out to rest your hand against his femur. “Morning, gorgeous,” You mumble, making a pleased hum at the slight blush that forms on Papyrus’ face.

Papyrus chuckles, running a hand through your hair. His eyes are wide and affectionate as he looks at you. You feel a warm fluttering in your chest, your cheeks starting to flush with pleasure. You haven’t had something like this before. Never had the luxury of waking up with someone you… _Care_ isn’t good enough, but…

“morning lazybones,” Papyrus says, holding up the mug for you to see. “got you a ‘cup of joe.’ hope joe tastes good.”

“It’s coffee, you dork,” You say, laughing at his antics. That fluttering strikes again. You are _really_ not used to this. “and you didn’t need to do that.”

“that’s _sir_ dork to you. and if i had to, that kinda would take the intent of it away, now wouldn’t it?” He says, teasing.

You sit up, letting the blanket pool around your waist. Taking the mug, you blow on the steaming coffee and sip gingerly. Papyrus watches you, trying to gauge your reaction.

“is it ok?” He asks, and you think you see a small furrow of worry between his eye sockets.

“The best I’ve ever had in the Underground,” You assure him, smiling. To be fair, that means little when it’s still terrible instant coffee, but it’s not like you can make it any better. “Thank you.”

Pleased, his smile perks up again. “sans and i have to work today, and who really knows what alphys is gonna be up to, but if you want you and chara can come with me. i offer all the baked goods you can eat in exchange.”

Laughing, you shake your head. “A tempting offer, but I think I can handle Alphys. She’s not _so_ bad. Now that I’ve gotten a little more used to her, anyway. Never would have guessed she was such an anime nerd.”

There’s something to be said about watching someone who tried to kill you passionately discuss the very same TV shows that Chara loves. It helped humanize – err, _monster_ ize – her a bit, in your eyes.

Papyrus looks a little surprised. “you sure, hun? i mean, _i_ know she’ll behave herself, but you don’t- ”

You grab his hand, cutting him off. “I’ll be fine. Besides, I have to do some more shopping anyway. Gotta impress the new guest, right?” That flutter kicks up again, and you look down at your coffee, feeling a little shy. “But, uh, thanks for looking out for me. It’s… I really appreciate it.”

“hey, it’s the least i could do, hun. besides, that’s how this whole relationship thing works, right? dating manual said taking care of each other is key.” You look back at him, and you honestly can’t tell if he’s joking about the book. “at least, it seems to be true for us.”

“Yeah. I suppose it is.”

* * *

The brothers head their separate ways, Sans into Snowdin’s forests and Papyrus towards Waterfall, leaving you and Chara with Alphys. Papyrus reminds you that the both of them are just a phone call away, and you reassure him that you’ll be fine. He flushes bright orange when you kiss him goodbye in front of Sans and Alphys. Not that you blushed, or anything.

You think you hear some sort of high-pitched noise escape Alphys, but when you turn to face her she’s covering her face. She not-so-subtly asks you questions about Papyrus after he’s gone, and goes expectantly silent whenever you mention him.

Alphys insists on going shopping with you. She pays for everything and carries all the bags by herself, waving you away and acting insulted when you try to help. You think she’s just trying to be nice to you after everything, but she’s so aggressive about it that you honestly feel like you’re walking on eggshells.

After around two days of Alphys’ forceful kindness, you finally convince her that she doesn’t need to do this. She seems pleased that you approached her about it, though does remark she was hoping to be challenged to a friendship battle over it. You don’t think you’ll ever understand the lizard monster.

With that past the pair of you, things between you and Alphys are more comfortable. She still makes you a bit nervous, especially when she gets worked up over something (she and Sans seem to get into shouting contests regularly, and angry shouting makes you shut down). But to your surprise, you start to soften towards Alphys. She’s a bit rude sometimes, and _way_ too energetic, but watching her with Chara is endearing. You can’t help it.

Sans is glad to see everyone getting along. He and Alphys spend time regularly going back to her house to try to work on getting it fixed back up. Papyrus mysteriously vanishes whenever Sans is looking for his help, but you didn’t honestly expect anything less from him. You’re told that it'll still be a while until Alphys can move back into her own house, but you’re starting to get used to her presence now. It’s just the new “normal.”

Things with Papyrus seem even better than they were before your talk. He has a lot of good days, and you start to get better at noticing the bad ones. There are a few times you wake up in the middle of the night and he’s not there. More than once you find him down in the kitchen, reading through some books. He apologizes when you wander down to look for him, bleary from sleep and worried. “didn’t want to wake you, hun,” He says. He lets you drag him back to sleep, or to talk about some of the stuff he’s reading about, or a little fun.

You do try to get him to open up more about what’s worrying him, but much to your annoyance, he deflects the conversation – or pranks you in the middle of it, much to your chagrin. Though to be fair, they are good pranks. You still don’t know how he slipped a small dog into your grocery bags.

Before you realize it, a little over two weeks have passed, and you’ve been in the Underground for a month. Part of you wonders if _he_ worries about you, but mostly you don’t care.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here you are folks! Hope you all enjoy! This upcoming week is gonna be quite hectic for me, so no promises on getting a chapter out next weekend. But I'll try my darnest.
> 
> P.S. Chronicdelusionist is literally the bestest ever. Go check them out!


	25. Sick

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [ Onadacora's Original Fic ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/5053684/chapters/11621461) \--- [Chronicdelusionist's Comics](http://onadacora.tumblr.com/tagged/underswap-wtmyh/chrono) \--- [My Tumblr](http://darrelodin.tumblr.com/)

Waking up feels terrible. You feel intense pressure in your forehead, you can barely breathe, and everything feels sore. Awesome.  _ Fantastic. _ The mattress is sunken in beside you, where you know Papyrus is laying, probably watching you like he always does when he wakes up first.

You feel the sneeze coming a second too late. Papyrus jumps slightly as you jerk up, shaking your head as everything seems to press down on you. “Ugh. This is not what I wanted to wake up to.” You mutter, massaging your forehead. Or, at least, that’s what you intend to mutter. It comes out more like one long nonsensical moan.

“uh, you okay, hun?” Papyrus asks, prompting you to blink your eyes open to look at him.

You regret that action in full, wincing as the faint light from under the blinds shines much too brightly. Papyrus is definitely watching you, judging from the shifting of the bed next to you. A hand trails down your side, soothing the low ache you feel all over.

“Yeah, I‘ll be fine, ’s probably just—” You let out another sneeze. You can  _ feel _ the mucus fly… And drip down your chin. The room is silent as you dumbly open your eyes and stare at the damp spot on the sheets.

“is… is that supposed to come out of your face?” Papyrus asks. You turn to him, squinting and feeling your face flush in embarrassment. He looks at your face and you can only watch as his eyes widen. “babe you have something yellow on your face.”

For some reason, the slight horror in his voice sets you off.  “Paps, I’m  _ fine  _ it’s just-” Another sneeze? Really? You grunt, fumbling around for anything to wipe your nose on that isn’t the blankets or Papyrus. ( _ “Dear Lord, just wipe your nose like a human being. Can’t you do something that simple?”) _ “Just a cold.”

If it is ‘just a cold,’ it sure doesn’t feel like it. Your body is incredibly sore all over – your knees, you could understand, given what you’d been doing last night, but even your fingers felt overworked – and your head feels like it’s ready to explode. You get yourself to your feet and stumble toward the dresser.

“do you get sick if you go too long? is that the problem?” You stop, bent over a drawer and turn to stare blankly at Papyrus. A pale orange tinges his cheekbones. “some of the old books lying around the dump mentioned ‘getting spent’ and not having enough, ah…”

This would be hilarious and cringe-worthy in any other situation, but right now you just don’t even care. “No, just, just no. That’s just superstition. And really,  _ really _ old pseudo-science.” You twist back and start opening the drawer. “You got anything other than blankets for me to wipe my face with?”

“uh…maybe? toilet paper would work, right? be back in a flash.” You open your mouth to say something, even just an ‘okay,’ but Papyrus is already out the door.

Your continued rummaging through the dresser yields no results – not even that dating handbook Papyrus mentioned. You hope it’s actually real, because that would be incredible.

“okay, just lay down, hun. i got you some stuff.” Papyrus says, popping back into the room. You open your mouth to thank him, and just stare – well, sneeze, then stare – at the skeleton. He’s carrying an entire box full of paper towels, and another blanket. “don’t worry about the sheets. we can clean them later.”

“Paps, seriously I’m...” You start, trailing off as Papyrus watches you expectantly. “Fine. Laying down. But only until I eat some food. Then I need to get up, got it?”

The way his face lights up in gratitude sets your heart a flutter, and now is not the time for that! You feel like you should protest as Papyrus places some rolls next to you and tucks you in. Perhaps question him about when your boyfriend became so good at wrapping people up in blankets? “You, uh, really don’t need to do this.”

“but i want to, hun. plus, don’t wanna overstrain yourself, ya know?” He winks at you. “let me grab you something so you don’t turn into skin, bones, and snot.”

You laugh despite yourself, hiding it behind a sudden cough. “Thanks Paps. Could you grab Chara for me too? Just need to tell them what to point you toward.”

“sure, whatever you need, hun,” He says. With a click, the door shuts.

You fall back against the bed and sigh. Well this is a great way to start the day. It’s been, what, ten minutes and Papyrus already thinks you’re dying – admittedly, you feel like you’re dying too. You’re practically using the sheets as a massive tissue.  But he’s still trying to help. You’re embarrassed by yourself, but Papyrus doesn’t even seem to mind. And hey, if you remember right, you’re pretty sure you’d spotted some beaten-up bottles of Tylenol at Snowdin’s shop last time you went. Of course, knowing your kind of luck it’s empty of pills and being used for some sort of storage instead.

There’s a knock before the door opens up. You shuffle upright and blink as Chara pokes their head inside. They’re already dressed in their clothes – something  _ he  _ taught early. There’s no sign of Papyrus outside the door just before they shut it.

“Dad? What’s wrong? Papyrus is kinda freaking out but he won’t say why. Alphys is laughing at him for some reason though,” Chara says, glancing at the pile of used ‘tissues’ piling up around you. You  _ really _ didn’t need to think about what Alphys is now imagining. “Are you sick?”

“You got it, squirt,” You respond, breaking out into a cough. Chara frowns, despite the weak smile you shoot their way. “Be fine in a flash. Let’s hope you don’t get sick too, right? You remember the medicine you had to take last summer?”

Their face twists in disgust and they nod. They had hated being trapped in the house when they’d gotten a nasty cold that one summer. You had distracted them with board games and video games at least. They had really enjoyed acting out the characters. You suppose that hasn’t changed, considering the booming voices you’ve heard echoing from Sans’ room when the two of them are ‘making battle plans.’

“Awesome! I need you to go with Paps to the store and grab some for me. And if you see any soup, buy some of that too.” Of course, you can only hope that  _ was  _ medicine, and not just reused bottles.

“His name is ‘Papyrus,’ Dad.”

Chara rolls their eyes as you respond, “Dating privileges, Chara. I’m sure you’ll enjoy them too someday. What’s Papyrus doing, anyway?”

They mumble something about ‘never dating ever,’ but respond, “He mentioned wanting to get you something before he left. I’ll let him know I’m ready.”

As they leave you call out “Thanks, squirt!” And promptly sneeze. Why must your head pound so? You need to convince Papyrus you can get up and do things. Things like shop for school supplies. And more food. Wait, maybe you shouldn’t be cooking if you’re sick…

“Oh no.” You mutter just as Paps walks in with a bowl and spoon. You meet his eyes and ask, “Papyrus, who’s going to cook?”

He shrugs. “sans probably. here, breakfast in bed.” You numbly take the offered bowl. Oh, tomato soup. You must still look shell shocked, given Papyrus’ chuckling. “don’t worry hot stuff, my bro’s been picking up some skills from you.”

You eye him carefully. Well, better you than Alphys, you suppose. Taking a spoonful of the soup, you close your eyes and moan in delight. It warms you right to the core. “Paps, I don’t even care, this is delicious.”

“thanks hun, heh. got some advice on recipes from a friend, thought i’d try them out for ya.”

“ _ You _ made this? Say the word, I’ll be your food guinea pig whenever.”

“really? cause i got some bones i’m sure you’d love to chew on.”

You almost spill the soup laughing. Papyrus seems much more relaxed, although your coughing keeps some tension on his face. “you sure you don’t want to stay in bed a bit longer?” He asks as you finish off your soup and move to get up.

“I am positive, Paps. Can’t let a little thing like a cold stop me.”

“well, besides the medicine, is there anything else you’d like me to grab? something you don’t  _ need  _ but might help?” Papyrus hands twists his hoodie back and forth, then he shoves them into his pockets.

As if on cue, you sneeze again, letting out a groan. “Uh, I dunno. Hot chocolate, maybe? Something warm.”

Papyrus grins. “sweets? guess it’s obvious where chara gets it.”

“Shush you. Go get stuff to mother me with.”

“’course, hun.”

* * *

 

You’re finishing a nice, hot shower when Papyrus and Chara get back. Grabbing your towel, you step out to see your poor, worried boyfriend clutching half dozen bags. Leaning against the wall, you let your towel fall and wiggle your eyebrows. “Hello, handsome. Looking for someone?”

Of course, you immediately sneeze and ruin the moment.

Papyrus shakes his head, tension seeming to leave his face. “just storing some extra food.”

“In… The bathroom?” Okay, not the answer you expected.

“where else? gotta keep it clean, ya know?”

You bite back a laugh. “Paps, you are absolutely ridiculous.”

“i dunno, i’m just storing some food. you’re the one who’s naked, sexy, and sick.” He wiggles his bone brows at you. “still gets me going though.”

“Hehe, thanks…” You rub your neck, a silly smile rising to your face despite yourself. “I’ll, uh, just get dressed really fast and then we can head out. Err, wait. Shouldn’t you be already at work?”

Papyrus shrugs. “i let sans and alphys know you weren’t feeling too good, and that i’d stay home with you today. they left just a little while ago, think they’re gonna get some more work done on her house. they hope you feel better, by the way,” He adds.

Papyrus leaves you to get dressed, looking a lot more relaxed than he was when he came in. He also left you a cup of hot chocolate, drawing a little heart in the mirror. You’re struck, once again, by just how much Papyrus cares about you. No one has ever gone this much out of their way to help you out. Sure, the occasional date would call and come over when worried, but skipping work? Buying a ton of snacks – and chocolate – for you without expecting anything back? Sure he was worried, but Papyrus’ first concern in the end was your well-being.

You’re not used to anyone putting you first.

Feeling clean and refreshed, you take a quick detour to put your dirty sweats in the laundry, finishing off your drink and tossing it in the trash. Chara catches you before you can head downstairs, glancing down into the living room where Papyrus is lounging on the couch. They’ve got a gleam in their eye, the one that you’ve learned means they need to tell you something.

“What’s up, bucko?” You ask, smiling...And sniffling. Geez, it’s hard to breath.

“You need to eat more soup!” Chara says, voice quiet but forceful.  

A warm feeling rises in your chest, and you kneel down to hug Chara “Don’t worry, squirt. I’ll make sure to. I know Papyrus might have been worrying you a little, but I’m fine, okay?” They nod, but you can feel their arms tighten a bit on you. “Now, I’m going to follow your orders, and then we’ll head out for the day, okay?”

“Okay.”

As Chara heads back into Sans’ room to play for a little longer, you head downstairs. Papyrus is laying on the couch, reading some dusty old book as you come downstairs. He also has that large blanket next to him, which you refuse to be wrapped up in. As you move toward the kitchen, however, you make the terrible mistake of making eye contact with Papyrus. He’s looking at you so expectantly, eye sockets wide and begging. With a sigh (and a barely concealed smile), you flop down beside him on the couch.

“you sure you’re doing alright, hun?” Papyrus eyes you closely as you sink deeper into the couch. “pretty sure your skin shouldn’t be as pale as my bones.”

That your chuckle quickly breaks into a hacking cough does nothing to remove the worry on his face. “Babe, I’m telling you, it’s just a cold. I’ll be fine. Why are you so caught up about it?”

Papyrus’ seems hesitant. “monsters…don’t get sick like humans do. we don’t feel ill unless we overwork our magic, or lose…” He trails off. “there’s only one time we ever are sick like humans.”

“When a monster ‘falls down,’ right?” He nods slowly. An uneasy feeling creeping into your chest. You’ve seen enough romance movies to know where this is going. “So you’re worried I’m dying and just hiding it?”

“no, i believe you, i just… i am worried. for us, there’s nothing else it could be.” Papyrus looks ahead calmly, but you feel his fingers tighten on you. “just a little scared, i guess.”

“Hey,” He slowly turns to face you. He needs to see you when you tell him. “I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. I am going nowhere. You got that?”

Papyrus doesn’t say anything. His hands release you, but within seconds he reaches around and pulls you up against him. “i do.”

“Good, you bonehead.” You sniffle, glad to have gotten through that exchange mostly without sneezing. You feel one coming on at that exact moment – of course – and stifle it the best you can. You feel Papyrus chuckle against you. 

“What’s so funny?” You ask, pulling another ‘tissue’ out and blowing your nose.

“you sound adorable when you do that.”

“I am not adorable!” You sputter, pulling away to his laughing face. “I-I’m a badass!”

He leans forward a nuzzles your cheek. “’course you are. my badass adorable boyfriend.”

Still sputtering, your heart flutters in your chest. You suppose ‘badass adorable’ isn’t too bad.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here you all are! As I suspected, a week delay occurred. Future chapters might also face some delays, as finals are coming. But until then, why not grab a nice mug of hot chocolate and relax? And maybe prep for some history lessons...
> 
> P.S. Chronicdelusionist has the most incredible art, plus they laugh at my lame jokes, go show them some love!


	26. Outgoing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [ Onadacora's Original Fic ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/5053684/chapters/11621461) \--- [Chronicdelusionist's Comics](http://onadacora.tumblr.com/tagged/underswap-wtmyh/chrono) \--- [My Tumblr](http://darrelodin.tumblr.com/)

It takes a bit more convincing, but Papyrus finally relents in trying to get you to stay home. The price is high, though. One entire hour of cuddling  _ and  _ Muffet’s for lunch? It’s almost too much, or so you protest. Not that you’d ever say no to some of Muffet’s delicious baked goods. Or cuddling with your favorite bag of bones.

The first thing to cross off your to-do list is taking Chara to get set up at Snowdin’s school. The two of you aren’t going anywhere anytime soon, and you’d be a terrible (downright  _ cold,  _ according to Chara) father if you let Chara’s education fall to the wayside. You have no idea how a monster school compares to a human one, but it has to be better than nothing. Heck, might even be better than where Chara went before. They never told you about any friends at school… Or anyone they really liked, now that you think about it. But they’ve already enjoyed playing with some of the monster children in Snowdin. Going to school will at least let them spend some more time with kids their own age… No offense to Sans.

Papyrus tags along with you and Chara, walking hand-in-hand with you on your way to the school. The place looks straight out of the Midwestern frontier; sure, the red paint on the outside on the small building is a little brighter than you’d normally see, but still. Walking inside, you discover an office right off the entrance, and two classrooms. With a quick peek through the classroom door windows, it looks exactly as you expected: older children in one room and younger in the other. It fits, you suppose. Snowdin really isn’t large enough to separate them into grade levels.

You’re apparently well known by the principal and administrator of the school, much to your surprise. She’s a squat, brilliant orange reptile of some kind, and is the mother of that armless monster kid – whose name is Suzy– that you saved from almost getting axed by Alphys. Offering you a warm smile, you shake her hand and take a seat across from her at the desk. She has an assortment of papers that she sifts through as you speak with her.

She hands you a few forms, which you start filling out, glancing over at Chara as they take in the monster’s eccentric office. They seem particularly interested in a group photo dated last year; mostly kids, but with a few adults you assume are the school's staff. Papyrus is standing behind your chair, and you think you hear his bony fingers tapping on his phone.

“I’ve been meaning to thank you, for what you did to help Suzy,” She says, breaking the silence.

You look up from the papers, pen stilling between your fingers. She’s giving you a kind smile, exposing a row of wide, dulled-point teeth. You’re reminded of Alphys. “No problem. It was mostly adrenaline kicking in, but I’m glad that no one was hurt,” You say.

“Captain Alphys came by just a day after the incident – I’ve heard she’s staying with all of you.” The principal glances over your shoulder at Papyrus, who doesn’t say anything. He must nod or something, because she continues. “She apologized profusely, and also cleared up that odd rumor that the reason she attacked you and your child is because you’re human! I never believed it for a second, because really, what human would risk their life to help a monster? The Captain confirmed my suspicions, of course. She’d just made a mistake.” She raises her scaled hands and lets them drop with a sigh. “I was rather worried, myself. The Captain must be more attentive! Really, the thought of the two of you turning to dust over such a terrible misunderstanding…”

You’re all smiles and polite chitchat from there, but at least now things make a bit more sense. Nothing had seemed to change with any of the residents of Snowdin for a good reason; Alphys went out of her way to make sure that she didn’t completely wreck your cover, since apparently no one besides Papyrus and Sans understood that you and Chara are human. You make a mental note to thank her later.

It hurts just a little, those comments about humans. But to be fair, it’s not as if the principal isn’t kind of right, at least about some people. And the entire species is buried under a mountain, so a bit of prejudice is not entirely unjustified in that regard. You just nod in response and drop your attention back to the forms.

“so, kiddo, you ready to crash the store for some school stuff once your dad here finishes up?” Papyrus asks while you’re still busy.

Their face lights up, but Chara turns to you first. “Dad, can we please go?”

“Sure, squirt. We need to do that anyway, no reason not to. Plus, it keeps me out of the house longer.” You answer, throwing a smirk at Papyrus. It’s somewhat ruined by the sudden sneeze, but he still chuckles at you. Turning back to the paperwork, you grimace. What is a ‘Magic Manifestation’, and is this where your entire charade falls apart? You’re not entirely up for a village lynching.

Papyrus rests his hand on your shoulder, making you crane your neck to look up at him. He holds his phone in front of your face, and there you can see a text message he's typed out but hasn't sent. 'tons of monsters don’t show magic manifestations. it won’t cause chara any trouble.' You’re rather shocked by his proper grammar given the circumstances, but the message relieves you. No lynching after all.

You nod, giving him a quick smile. “Sweet. Thanks.” Glancing at the principle, she doesn’t seem to think anything is odd about your exchange. Her focus is on a small pile of papers.

Papyrus nods back at you, squeezing your shoulder and pulling away again.

You finish up the last few questions. Flashing a grin (and suppressing a sneeze), you hand over the paperwork. She lets you know that Chara can start classes tomorrow if it’s fine with both of you. You let her know that it is.

* * *

You chuckle as Chara not-so-subtly side eyes the eclectic collection of Snowdin’s shop, refusing to  _ actually _ dig through with their hands. The rows and shelves seem organized by function as best as the owner could manage, but it’s organized chaos through and through. It reminds you of the thrift stores you’d visit, that  _ he  _ would always scoff at.  _ He  _ might have been generally thrifty, but appearances were always his number one priority. Which, really, just meant you had an assortment of very nice suits and sweaters gathering dust in a closet, while ratty jeans and assorted t-shirts were your go to.

Despite that, you still feel a bit of thankfulness. You would never have considered the matching heart pendants without  _ him _ . You have a different best friend now, but they’re still the one luxury purchase you’ve never regretted buying for yourself.

“Wait, Dad,” Chara says, walking over to one of the shelves. An assortment of pencils and pens are piled there. They pluck out one package and turn, a joyful smile on their face. “They have colored pencils! I could use these for writing, and these for drawing!”

The blistered packaging is a bit worn at the edges and the cardboard is faded, but the pencils inside seem to be in good shape. They actually look similar to the stash of pencils Chara had back on the Surface. And ever since coming down, they’d been making do with some crayons for their little drawings. Eh, why not? You can’t say no to that “I swear I’ll be good” look.

“Sure, squirt!” Chara’s face (somehow) lights up even more as you grab the package and tuck it under your arm with the assorted notebooks you’d grabbed. “Why don’t you grab a pencil case to carry them in too?”

They nod before quickly dashing down the aisle to look for where they’re stored. Well, there goes your composed child. Heh.

“look at ‘em go.” Papyrus says. You catch a whiff of smoke and turn to him. No cigarette in his mouth. “looks like sans has been rubbing off on ‘em.”

You shake your head, smiling as you follow after Chara. “Nah, the pair of them are just two peas in a pod.” It’s nice to see Chara so excited though. As much as they complain about having to ‘do work,’ they really seem to be looking forward to school. Must be all the new friends.

Unable to see where Chara has gone off to, you turn down a random aisle. You can’t help but sigh looking over the book selection. The library is great and all, but actually owning a book, and not having to worry about returning it, is just so much more enjoyable. There are even some monster books here that aren’t at the “librarby”, or at least, that you haven’t seen there. One in particular catches your eye, and you can’t help but put down your collection of supplies to thumb through it.  _ Historiography & Magic _ , eh? It seems to be a textbook of some sort, somewhat used but in much better condition than you’d assume given the surrounding books.

Nope,  _ nope _ . You quickly replace the text, grabbing the supplies and moving away. It’s way too much gold, and you don’t need it. Why waste the money?

You spend a few minutes trying and failing to find Chara and Papyrus before giving up and waiting near the end of the aisles. They’ll find you eventually. Hopefully.

“Dad! I need this too,” Chara says. Turning, you almost lose your hold on everything as a heavy book is dropped onto the stack. Looking down, you blink.  _ Historiography & Magic _ stares back up at you.

“Uh, Chara? Not that I’m doubting you, but this doesn’t seem like your kind of reading.” You also are positive they hadn’t seen you looking through that textbook, so how… Glancing up, you see Papyrus grinning at you knowingly. Oh.

He shrugs, placing a hand on Chara’s shoulder and giving a squeeze. “hey, kids start early. i should know. besides, we’ve got more than enough gold for it.”

You look back at Chara, their grinning face, then back at the book. Heh, well, you could never say no to them. “Cool, uh, then sure. We’ll grab it, squirt.”

You’re still a little dazed as Chara cheers and gives you a hug before running back down the aisle. Papyrus seems satisfied with your reaction, coming over and pulling you into a side-hug. ‘We’ve got more than enough gold for it.’ That could just mean himself and Sans, obviously. It’s all their gold in the end, but you doubt that’s how he meant it.

“we are all out shopping after all. can’t let my sick boyfriend miss out on some toys too.” He murmurs.

“Oh? Then what does the bony chaperone plan on getting?”

You feel the hand on your side slide down to your hip until curving over your butt. Papyrus leans down, resting his skull on your shoulder to whisper into your ear. “well, i hear a naked boyfriend is fun to have.” He murmurs, nuzzling your cheeks (which are totally red right now, and not from your cold).

“You two are gross.” Chara says, poking their head out from an aisle down.

“you know it, kiddo,” Papyrus says, chuckling into your shoulder before leaning back.

You hear Chara make a gagging sound as you lean up and kiss Papyrus (unfortunately sniffling despite yourself). “Can one of you help me pick out rulers? I know I need one of them, but I don’t know which one.”

"sure thing, kiddo. i'm great at picking out school supplies, as a general-" He winks conspiratorially at Chara and their eyes light up, and with a sinking feeling you realize what's coming- "- _ guideline _ ."

A sudden guffaw of laughter escapes you  as Papyrus pulls away, walking over to help your pouting child pick out the rest of their supplies. You’re not surprised in the least to discover that the skeleton has a wide variety of humorous trivia and situation-appropriate pranks at his disposal, though they still get chuckles out of you every time. You just watch the two of them, following at a distance with a smile on your face. The two of them never had any issues, but Chara tends to favor Sans and Alphys. And even though Papyrus has always supported you with Chara, he hasn’t really gone out of his way to try and spend extra time with them, either. You’d almost think there was some sort of barrier between them, but you can’t imagine why.

But as Papyrus groans at another of Chara’s puns, you think they’re getting closer. You actually mist up and sniffle a little bit as Papyrus reaches out to ruffle Chara’s hair the way you like to do. You blame your reaction on being sick.

When they finally finish picking out what Chara wants, you head over to the clothing section. You want to make sure that Chara has some comfortable clothes to wear to school… And, you suppose, first impressions do matter. But you’re thinking Chara’s sharp wit will probably win a bunch of people over anyway.

Eyeing the selection – and grabbing a few oversized clothes, like they prefer – you notice Chara staring at the striped sweaters on display. “You thinking about getting a new sweater, squirt? That green one is getting a little worn out, and these do look warmer,” You say.

“I don’t know…” Chara says, running their hand over the garment rack and thumbing their way through the different colors.

As you watch, they hesitate over a particular sweater. They pull it out a bit from the others, and you catch a glimpse of blue with purple stripes. You can’t remember Chara ever being partial to either color, but they seem to be considering it anyway. After a moment, they shove it back into place and turn to you, shaking their head.

“No, this one is good,” Chara says.

* * *

Sometimes Papyrus forgets that this Chara and the Chara from the worst timelines are the same child. As he watches the two of you talk as your little trio heads to Muffet’s, he remembers. In a blink, the images of a child silhouetted in the darkness between shafts of golden light come to him. The slight creaking of a simple stick clutched in small fingers. A cold, blank stare through lidded eyes.

Tears streaming down pale white skin as something within Chara seems to fracture and they snap the stick before running into Papyrus’ arms (Sometimes. The times Chara gave him mercy were some of the hardest. Killing them when they refused his offer weighed less on his soul). Blood on the floor. A final, faint gasp.

He’s jolted back to reality as he feels tiny hands pry his fingers away from yours and thread themselves in your place. Looking down, he sees that Chara is now between the two of you, holding your hands. You look over the kid, meeting his eyes past a trail of cigarette smoke, and he notices how warm your smile is and how there’s a little bit of color darkening the roundness of your cheeks. It only makes Papyrus feel guiltier of his memories, but he smiles at you anyway, puffing a bit of smoke into a shape of a heart at you. Your laugh makes his smile feel a little more real.

His gaze flicks back down to Chara. They’re looking up at you, but as he watches they turn to face him, squeezing his fingers. Reddish brown bangs (not even close to your hair color, though the strands are similar) fall away from their eyes, and he’s struck with how Chara’s eyes look so much like your when they smile… And when they give a disapproving look too, like right now. He thinks that should make him feel worse, but… This isn’t the child he fought before. It can’t be. There isn’t a hint of that person in Chara’s face, just…You.

Clearing their throat, Chara tugs both on both of your arms. Apparently this is a signal for you, because you start to raise your arm and Papyrus is quick to follow suit (keeping his own low enough for you to stay comfortable). The cold air fills with the sound of Chara’s laughter as he helps you swing them back and forth. Soon, the memories sink back down below the surface and his smile is genuine.

And damn him if he doesn’t realize that he now has one more person he’s afraid of losing.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Barely in on time, but here it is! A chapter to enjoy! Hope you've all been studying up on your Underground history, because next time there's a test.
> 
> P.S. Chronicdelusionist makes my jokes actually funny, they are the best.


	27. Twenty Questions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [ Onadacora's Original Fic ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/5053684/chapters/11621461) \--- [Chronicdelusionist's Comics](http://onadacora.tumblr.com/tagged/underswap-wtmyh/chrono) \--- [My Tumblr](http://darrelodin.tumblr.com/)

Papyrus takes Chara to school on their first day, because as much as you’d love to go with them, your head is pounding and Papyrus refuses to let your cold worsen. He does try to stay home with you again, but Sans won’t have any of it. Alphys tells him you’ll be fine with her watching out for you while the brothers are gone.

So you stay home. And frankly, staying in bed just a little longer isn’t the worst. It really lets you examine things, like how comfortable Papyrus’ bed manages to be. It’s not even that large, but sleeping together is never uncomfortable, even with his bones occasionally poking your side.

You sigh, flopping onto your stomach. Yesterday had been wonderful. Yet, Papyrus had gotten that frozen, fake smile on his face on the way to Muffet’s. It was like the time he’d walked in on Chara and you cooking. He told you it was nothing, but… You’d hoped he would talk to you more. Something’s still eating at him.

Maybe Papyrus just needs time. Yeah, that’s all. He’s just unsure about spilling secrets. You can respect that. And he cares, he’s shown that so much in the past couple of days, hell, since you’ve met him. He’s even gotten to making you coffee when he wakes up before you! Wait. These gestures of affection... Didn’t Papyrus mention a “dating manual”? And no one’s home besides Alphys… You chuckle to yourself. It can’t _actually_ be real, can it?

Five minutes later, you find it in the closet, buried in a box of nicely folded sweaters you’ve never seen before. It’s worn, and has some odd cartoon depictions of a couple on the cover, but there it is. How many times has Papyrus read through this? Opening the book, you see… A quantum physics book for dummies? What?

Well, Papyrus had mentioned his past interest in science. Curious, you take a peek and – The hell? _Another_ dating manual? You quickly glance at the cover of the first book. Yep, same thing. And inside the second dating manual… A second quantum physics book. You’re not sure what you expected.

You toss the books back where you found them, groaning. _Japed again._ You’re also smiling, and can practically hear Papyrus’ laughter in your ears, a genuine smile on his face. Damn, you’re a lucky guy.

You hear a buzz from the desk, where your phone has some notification. It’s a picture of Chara, grinning and pointing to the school behind them. You smile a little wider, making sure to save it. Maybe the brothers have a printer hidden somewhere. When you exit the image, you see Papyrus sent you a text right after. “thought you might like to see them. hope you feel better, hun.” You chuckle softly and text back, ‘Thanks Pap! Feelin’ better already. :P’ You glance once more at the thumbnail of the picture before throwing the phone back.

A few minutes later you’ve changed into a different t-shirt and pair of sweats and make your way downstairs with your new book. You can see Alphys staring intently at the television, where some high pitched female voice is shouting. As you approach the couch she doesn’t acknowledge you past a grunt, shifting herself to the other end of the couch.

Burrowing into the couch cushions to get more comfortable (and blowing your nose into yet another tissue), you open “ _Historiography & Magic_.” Skimming the introduction, your eyes widen upon the author’s name, ‘Toriel Dreemurr.’  The queen herself wrote this? When would she have had the time to pen a textbook? Your momentary confusion is quickly overtaken by disgust at the title of the first chapter, ‘A Rocky Start.’ She’s a dirty pun-lover. Oh, Sans and Chara would love her.

Despite the absolutely _terrible_ puns scattered throughout each chapter, and multiple warnings ‘Not to read this until you’re an adult’ before some of the more bleak parts, you quickly find that you cannot put the text down. The queen has a way with words, flowing from one event to another in an easy to grasp manner. Past conversations with Papyrus, where he didn’t quite know what had happened, are explained. There are even tons references to other texts to read for more information, and you make sure to note the names for future reading.

By the time you realize the room is silent, you’ve already read almost half the book. At the very least, you feel that you’ve gained a better understanding of how the Underground was formed, as well as how the late king and Toriel moved the capital from the Ruins, originally called Home, and into New Home.

But, something doesn’t add up. This can’t be the same Toriel. The Ruins were nearly decrepit, despite Asgore’s best attempts. _Magic. Bullshit._ But, can monsters even live for what must be hundreds of years? A glance at the publishing information reveals nothing, not a single date. All you know is that it’s an old ass book.

“Hey, nerd! Need anything?” Alphys asks, interrupting your thoughts. She’s uncurling herself from the couch, stretching up on her toes and raising her arms above her head with a loud, luxurious groan. A bag of… ‘Popato Chisps’ fall onto the floor as she raises an eyebrow at you.

“Uh, maybe some water…” You trail off, frowning down at the book. There has to be some sort of information here, the queen has been way too detailed not to. “Hey, Alphys? The queen, Toriel, that led the monsters back when everyone was sent into the Underground... Is she the same one that’s queen now?”

“Yep, that’s the one,” She says, continuing to stretch. “She usually does a lecture or two at the school in New Home talking about all she’s lived through. When monsters still lived on the surface. Her and Anorta are the only people, I think, that still remember.”

“Huh? Who’s Anorta?”

“‘Anorta, the Blade of Justice.’ The most kickass warrior in the Underground.” Alphys shrugs. “Besides me, of course. She’s the shopkeeper in town.”

You stare at Alphys. “What.”

“Yeah. I went to tell her I made a mistake about you two being humans but she just winked and laughed for two minutes straight. IT WAS PRETTY AWKWARD." Alphys demonstrates a taste of her own laughter before adding, “Really, if you need more nerdy history stuff, she’s your best bet outside of the queen.”

You fall back against the couch, massaging your forehead. Awesome. It’d be awkward to just stop going shopping, and Anorta _must_ have known about you and Chara for weeks. You’ll just talk to Papyrus about it later.

“Okay, uh, thanks for _that_ heads up. But still, when did monsters first fall down here anyway?”

Alphys scoffs, shaking her head and shrugging. “Do I look like a history nerd like you? TOO DAMN LONG AGO.” Grimacing, her arms fall to her side. “In Anorta’s case, she just happens to has some tortoise monster ancestors. Toriel is a special kind of monster, though. They’re called Boss Monsters. They’re immortal, at least until they have a kid. As the kid grows older, so do their parents. But, Toriel’s son died a long time ago.”

She motions for the text, sighing at the title. “You _would_ find this one, nerd,” She mutters, flipping through to a later section. Her expression hardens, then softens again, and she hands the book back. "Read this part, if you want to know what happened." Alphys murmurs, before heading toward the kitchen, leaving you alone.

Your heart drops as you learn about what became of Toriel’s son, Asriel. How the queen’s family took in a human child (the name is censored, just like the name of Toriel’s husband) who fell just like you and Chara did. The writing is shockingly blunt and emotionless, but you can guess this section wasn’t easy for the queen to write. They considered a human one of their own, it’s pretty clear she loved them. For a time it seemed that the hope of all the monsters rested on the idea that this single human might help bridge the gap between their two peoples. And in one night, it had all vanished. The human child had fallen sick, and died. Asriel had taken their Soul to try and fulfill their would-be sibling’s dying wish, and was struck down.

You blame the sick feeling in your stomach on your cold. But you snatch up your phone and take another look at that picture of Chara anyway, to make yourself feel better. Losing not one, but two children in one day? You could never imagine the pain, and you don’t want to. Ever.

Alphys never left the kitchen the entire time you were reading, and now that you’re done you wonder what she’s doing. You also have questions you’re hoping she can answer. Plus, you’d really like that water. As you get up from the couch, the entire room spins, leaving your head pounding. This is why you’re staying home, especially when the meds aren’t kicking in.

As you approach the kitchen, you hear Alphys talking in a low voice. “Y-you got this, Alphys. Just a-act natural,” She says, and you think she’s talking to herself. Okay, but why? You tuck yourself against the wall next to the television, afraid of interrupting her. "Just t-talk to her. She s-said she’d want to."

Who is she talking about? For a split second you think she might mean _Muffet_ , but that doesn’t even make sense. As far as you know, Alphys has never even eaten there. And right now she sounds completely flustered. She’s _stuttering_. Who could possibly inspire that kind of anxiety in someone as unflappable as her?

“A-ask her, oh, but what if I…Maybe she doesn’t want to talk. Maybe she’s just busy. Fuck, just call!” Alphys snaps at herself, and you hear her give a low growl.

You probably shouldn’t be listening to this. But now you’ve gotta know.

“H-Hiya, U-Undyne! It’s, uh, me, Alphys!” She says, and whoa, did her voice go up an octave? “Err, w-well, you al-already knew that it’s, uh, me. My name probably, uh, came up on your phone. ANYWAY, how’s your, uh, r-robot stuff coming along?” There’s a pause. “Explosively? That’s awesome! I, uh, just needed to know for, er, Royal Guard reasons!”

Is this the same person who tried to kill you? You’re biting into your hand to keep from laughing, wincing from second-hand embarrassment.

“Oh, u-uh me? Yeah, I’m doing great! My house is maybe half-done. I really should stop burning it down, huh?!” Alphys lets out a loud bark of laughter and it sounds like she’s finally starting to relax a little.

Seriously, how often does her house burn down?

“Come over? Yeah, that sounds like an AWESOME idea! I know Sans would love to see you, and Papyrus and you can finally meet properly. You really should get your cameras checked, Undyne. You can totally beat him at that prank war of yours.” Her voice quiets a little. “And it’s always great seeing you. UH, and you can meet Papyrus’ boyfriend, too! He’s pretty cool, I think you’d like him. So’s his kid. Yeah, dude’s got one, crazy right?”

Okay, now you feel a little bad about listening in, even as you smile at the compliment. Alphys being who she is, you know it’s genuine. Rubbing your neck, you step away from the wall and promptly sneeze. Alphys lets out a yelp and whirls around, looking a bit like a deer stuck in the headlights as she catches sight of you.

“OKAYUNDYNEGOTTAGO,LEMMEKNOWLATER,’K,BYE.” She jerks the phone away from her head, pressing a button and shoving it into the pocket of her jeans. “HEYA PUNK, so, uh, anything you need?”

“I feel like I should be asking that. Need a wingman?” You say, wiggling your eyebrows.

An absolutely massive blush colors Alphys’ cheeks. She quickly covers her face with her hands, shouting, “NO I DO NOT, KEEP YOUR NOSE OUT OF IT, NERD!”

“Alright, alright, heh. Offer stills stands, though.” You laughter dies, a small frown tugging on your mouth as you remember why you’d come in the first place. “I finished the reading.”

Alphys’ hands drop, a sad look flashing over her face. She taps her foot absently. “So you understand exactly how much humans took from us. What they took from Toriel.”

“It’s hard to blame someone for wanting revenge on the humans who trapped her people and killed her children,” You say, your hand drifting to cover your chest.

Alphys’ head snaps to face you, a hard look settling over her face. He eye clicks down at your hand. “It was never about revenge. She just wants what’s best for everyone, the TOTAL MOM that she is. She’s collecting Souls for freedom and for hope, not because she’s angry.”

Guilt twists in your stomach and you pick at the front of your shirt. “And all you need is one more. If you had –”

“STOP,” Alphys snaps at you, and you’re surprised to see her glaring. “None of that shit _now_. You’re a friend, and this just means we have to wait a little bit longer.”

“But –”

Alphys takes a step forward, jabbing a sharp-nailed finger into your chest. You lean backwards, eyes widening in surprise. “No buts. Be proud of yourself. You protected yourself, and be proud of protecting Chara. The two of you are just as important as any of the other monsters down here.”

Your face scrunches but you force yourself to meet her gaze. “And the other six Souls? Who collected them?”

She pulls her arm back over her chest, cupping her elbows. A frown furrows her brow. “It wasn’t me. You two are the first humans I’ve ever seen. And Toriel doesn’t like talking about the Souls. She’s doing her best to try and free us from this prison, but that doesn’t mean she _likes_ that people have to die. Even though humans did this to us in the first place.” Alphys grimaces, then relaxes with a sigh. “I’d rather step up and make sure she never has to do a thing ever again. That’s why the next human has got to be a jerk, so I don’t feel bad about killing them!”

You try not to dwell on the idea of Alphys trying to kill anyone else, even if it’s for an arguably righteous cause. “You and Toriel are close, right? Then are you lying to her about Chara and I?”

She looks away, and you think that exhausted look flashes across her face again. “Look. I know her well enough that tearing another parent’s child away is the last thing she’d want. I’m doing her a favor by keeping you punks a secret, got it?”

“One-hundred percent,” You tell her, smiling. “Thanks.”

“Yeah, yeah,” She grumbles. “Since twenty questions is still going on, apparently, how about I ask one, alright?”

“Sure.”

“So do all humans except you carry huge swords and have magical transformations, or is it a select few?”

You blink. Alphys looks up at you expectantly, as if she didn’t just ask a ridiculous question. “Neither… Oh shit, you’re serious. Oh shit.”

Over your sudden and uncontrollable laughter, you hear Alphys grumbling. “Yeah, yeah, laugh it up, nerd. It was an honest question! What else did YOU want to ask, anyway, huh?”

“Alright, alright. Lemme think for a second.” The smile fades from your face as you recall Asriel’s story. “How long ago did Asriel and that human child die?”

Alphys gives you a pained look, like she expected it but hoped for anything but. Her voice is soft as she answers. “I don’t really know. Toriel has enough going on running this kingdom. Bringing up sad stuff isn’t worth it. And the only time she ever mentioned Asriel was an accident on my part.”

“How’d that happen? If, uh, you don’t mind me asking.”

Letting out a sigh, Alphys hesitates. After a moment you think she’s decided not to answer, but then she speaks. “I was walking around the castle one day, trying to find her, when I stumbled into an old room filled with some toys. She shooed me out pretty quick, but told me that she wished I’d been around back then to keep Asriel safe. That I would have made a better protector for her child, instead of being a human hunter. I don’t really agree with that last part, but I know I would have stopped those kids! I would do anything to help Toriel and her family.”

You’re startled by the passion in Alphys’ voice. She catches herself, clearing her throat and glancing at you. “But she’s alone now. She doesn’t need a single person to protect her, because she’s tough! Way damn tougher than me.” She shrugs her shoulders, turning away and heading to the fridge. “I really do think Chara and you would like her, but for both of your sakes, and hers, I hope you never meet.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> History at its finest. Also, Chronicdelusionist and I had waaaaaay too much fun with this chapter, hehe. 
> 
> Just a warning, by the way. Due to my finals this week, the next chapter will probably be delayed at least a few days. But I'll try to make it up to all of you.
> 
> P.S. Chronicdelusionist is the greatest beta-reader and joke teller of them all. Go check them out!


	28. You're Mine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [ Onadacora's Original Fic ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/5053684/chapters/11621461) \--- [Chronicdelusionist's Comics](http://onadacora.tumblr.com/tagged/underswap-wtmyh/chrono) \--- [My Tumblr](http://darrelodin.tumblr.com/)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is some man on skeleton action going on this chapter. This has been your warning if that's a thing to watch out for.

“you really know how to rile me up, sending me those pics all day. what if the kid sees them?” Papyrus’ voice rasps as he follows you into his bedroom. You can feel his gaze on you as you casually stretch on your walk to the bed before turning to face him.

You allow yourself a satisfied smirk as Papyrus watches you hungrily, cigarette still clenched between his teeth. “I’ll have you know I delete those from my history after, unlike you. Guess at least one’s a keeper though, since you got everyone out of the house tonight.” You’d  _ finally _ gotten over that hell-cold this morning, and you were ready for a little fun. So a few teasing photos later, and you’d received a call from Sans requesting Chara for the evening; apparently Alphys, Sans, and Chara were all going out to eat somewhere in Waterfall.

“Lazy” he may be, but Papyrus sure works blindingly fast when he wants to.

And now here you are, smirking as the skeleton in question discards his cigarette in an ashtray before walking over to pull you into a kiss. One hand rises underneath the bottom of your shirt, slowly pulling it up before breaking the kiss to throw it aside. “well, i could have let them stay, if you’re into that sort of thing.”

“Ugh, no.” You say with a face, cheeks heating up as Papyrus chuckles. You quickly pull up his hoodie, grabbing his tank top in the process before taking a moment to step back and look at the skeleton before you.

You honestly can’t stop yourself from admiring his bones every time you see them. There’s always been this difference between his skeleton and a human one, but it’s captivating. There’s a substance there, a liveliness you wouldn’t ever find on a human one. Papyrus’ slender frame trembles against you as you rub your thumb along a lower rib.

“Why don’t you take a seat, Paps? I’ll make you feel good.” You murmur, enjoying the way he takes a sharp breath.

“you know me, always willing to do less work.” A light dusting of orange coats his cheeks, but he only hesitates a moment before moving to the bed. You drop next to him, running a hand from his clavicle around to his spine, enjoying the sighs you get in reaction.

“Yet tons of stuff gets done anyway,” You give a gentle push, and he’s laying down for you. “I think you deserve a reward.”

A look of confusion seems to flash over his face, but you’re already undoing his shorts. With a tug, they’re off, tossed over your shoulder. You run a hand up his surprisingly warm femur, pulling a sigh out of Papyrus. You smirk, reaching his pelvis and giving a light rub at the base. He shudders, and when you look up he’s got a half-lidded attempt at a glare at you. “you’re, ah, lookin’ a bit overdressed there. thought we agreed on birthday suits for this party.”

An ugly snort escapes you. “Can’t have that,” You respond, leaning back to pull your top off. You take your time, arching your back as you do so. There’s a hungry look on Papyrus’ face once you’re done. Damn, if that doesn’t get you going, you don’t know what will.

You plant your hands on either side of Papyrus and look down at him. “Is this better, bone boy?”

“a bit.” One hand reaches up to your chest, and  _ agonizingly  _ slowly slides down to your dick. “but someone seems to be stuck in this tent down here. why not let him out, eh?” He gives a squeeze for emphasis and you nearly fall down on him. Instead, you  _ only  _ let out a moan. No, this isn’t about you, it’s about Papyrus.

“L-later.” You lean down and press kisses to his sternum, enjoying the sharp intake of air you hear (Not that he needs to breathe? You think, anyway). Each kiss goes a little lower, until you’ve got Papyrus shuddering beneath you as you go along his spine. He lets out a little gasp when you bite lightly down before sitting up to examine your work.

Sweat pools on his forehead as he’s staring at you with a lusty gaze. “Damn, you look good.” You murmur. Rubbing his pelvis, you wait expectantly… And wait. No magical glowing erection appears. Both your wrists are gripped and slowly moved off Papyrus’ body. You back off, confused.

“i’m thinking something a little different tonight, hot stuff.” He says, voice shaky, low and raspy. Well, raspier than usual. You definitely enjoy it. “why don’t you take a break?”

Intrigued, you sit back on the bed, watching as Papyrus sits up and waves a finger toward the drawer. A small bottle of something floats over, though Papyrus moves it to the ground for now, instead turning over and suddenly pulling you in for a kiss. A hand cups the side of your head, the other reaching around you back to pull you close.

“you’ve been doing so much work teaching me. why don’t i show you what i’ve learned, hmm?”

Your dick reacts enthusiastically. Your mind hasn’t quite caught up, though. “That sounds great, but... This night’s about you.”

“why do you say that?”

“You’ve done so much since I got sick, with Chara and everything.”

Papyrus’ eye sockets widen, and you suddenly feel like you’ve said something wrong. When he finally speaks, his voice is hushed and worried. “hun, you don’t have to pay me back.”

But you have to. Or at least, you need to give a reason for why. You can’t quite look him in the eyes as you respond, “It’s only fair.”

“hun,” He murmurs. When you don’t turn, the hand on your cheek moves down to cup your chin. “none of this is about being fair. it’s about the two of us having a good time after one of us was teasing all morning. about showing how much…”

There’s something on the tip of his  _ magical _ tongue, but he hesitates and breaks eye contact, his gaze traveling down your chest. You don’t really know what to say. Papyrus is right, you shouldn’t be doing this as some form of payment, but you don’t really know how else to thank him. Despite your time down in the Underground, relationships are still a game you’re used to playing to lose. But you don’t want this one to be a game.

“you’re so hot, you know that?” Papyrus growls, yanking you out of your thoughts. You don’t know what to say at the look in his eyes, to the bony fingers cupping your chin. It’s hard to admit with that little voice in your head dismissing his compliments, but you know he isn’t lying.  “i just want to show you how much you turn me on.” He adds softly.

This is where you respond. You know you’ve got some witty repartee ready for this moment, but right now you can barely breathe. How does he do this? Leave you speechless and unable to look away. Something bubbles in your chest, familiar and terrifying. Fingers trails down your chest, caressing and dragging you away from your thoughts once more. You finally manage a strangled noise when Papyrus nibbles on your ear. “P-Paps…”

You can’t muster another word, but you think Papyrus knows. He smiles down at you, and you can tell he’s not faking this one. He’s genuinely happy with you, with all of you. You can’t help the ecstatic laugh that escapes you. Whatever you’re feeling, you’re just glad that he’s the one causing it.

He leans down to nuzzle you, eliciting a moan as something warm licks your neck. Fuck, that tongue of his feels so good.

You feel a hand cupping your ass and you arch reflexively, surprised. “you okay hun?” Papyrus asks, worry etched on his face.

“Yeah, yeah. Just surprised,” You respond, smiling back. “Unfair though, best I can do is this,” You add, rubbing the base of his spine.

He groans immediately, smiling wolfishly down at you. “well, there’s more where that came from.”

That’s your only warning before a finger (A magical projection? It doesn’t feel like bone) intrudes your ass. Despite yourself, you cry out as he gently stretches you out. Where the hell did he get lube? Did the store sell it? Does he just  _ have it on hand _ ? Those questions are chased away by a second finger entering and slowly thrusting.

You let out a small groan ( _ not  _ a whine) as his fingers exit you, but it dies in your throat when something warm prods you. “i’ll go slow, hot stuff,” Papyrus murmurs before slowly pushing forward.

The both of you gasp as he bottoms out in you as you both adjust. You have no idea how you look, but from the absolutely starved look on Papyrus’ face, it must be good. Unfortunately, he doesn’t do anything  _ but _ look down at you. 

“Paps, not trying to complain, but could you move?”

“okay, okay, hot stuff. i’ll stop being such a,” He pulls back, giving you a stroke with a disgustingly smug grin on his face. “ _ jerk _ .”

“Fucking hell, that’s awfu- _ ah _ !” You start to scold him, only to feel him start moving again. He feels so good. You try to steady yourself on your elbows when something soft pokes your back. “there ya go. lay back and watch the show,” Papyrus says, voice thick and low and  _ fuck  _ his voice is so damn hot.

A sudden thrust buries his cock deep in you and makes you moan, a surge of pleasure making you lose your balance and fall back onto the pillow. Everything is a whirl around you now, your vision blurring. You reach out to grasp his chest with one hand, and Papyrus’ own grunts get louder.

He’s leaning right over you now, and you can’t turn away, can only stare back at him with a lust-filled gaze. Your hand is rubbing across his warm ribs, sending shudders through Papyrus. He opens his mouth to say something – maybe another terrible joke – but you shut him up with a kiss, leaning up and groaning into his mouth. He seems to get the message.

Falling back again, one hand twisting into the sheets, you manage to groan out, “N-not gonna last much l-longer.”

You hear him chuckle “good,” before speeding up and angling his thrusts  _ just so _ and  _ fuck _ .

“Sh-shit! Papyrus!” You cry out as the dam bursts. Your vision goes white, moaning in pleasure as he strokes you through your orgasm, still thrusting.

Moments later, Papyrus arches above you and goes rigid, calling out your name as he presses deep into you. The warm light in his eye fizzles out as he goes limp, falling beside you as the pressure inside of you gone without warning. The two of you just lie there gasping for a few seconds.

“so, uh,” For a moment, he looks worried, but when your only response is a dazed smile and a shaky thumbs up, he seems to relax. “i’ll take that as a great job then.”

It was incredible. But you’re still catching your breath, and can only respond with weak kisses on his jaw. He smiles back, pulling up closer to you.

“hun, you don’t have to try so hard for me. i’m already yours.” Papyrus nudges you when you only murmur in response. “say it with me, ‘you’re mine.’”

“You’re mine.” You repeat, meeting his gaze.

“you got it now.”

“Heh.” You lean over, planting another kiss on his cheek. “If that’s the case, you’re really never getting rid of me.”

“i’ll keep that in mind, hun.” Papyrus nuzzles you before leaning back to look you in the eyes, bone curving as his smile softens. “i’ll keep that in mind.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A few days == over a week delay. Sorry y'all, I let the call of sleep (and FF XV) win out. But I do hope you enjoyed this chapter. I'm quite proud of how it turned out.
> 
> P.S. Chronicedelusionist is so good at shining the dull edges of these chapters; go give them some love!
> 
> P.S.S. Onadacora is still the greatest for her support of this fic.


	29. Words of Wisdom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [ Onadacora's Original Fic ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/5053684/chapters/11621461) \--- [Chronicdelusionist's Comics](http://onadacora.tumblr.com/tagged/underswap-wtmyh/chrono) \--- [My Tumblr](http://darrelodin.tumblr.com/)

Hesitating, Papyrus looks up at the massive stone doors, erected long ago to seal off the Ruins. He’s watched these doors open hundreds of times by now, but he’s never seen the man he knows is waiting on the other side. There are few places his magic can’t reach, like through the Barrier, and something about the Ruins just sets his bones on edge. He thinks it has something to do with the dark, purple stones. Sucks too, since the calming scent of flowers that sneaks through is so inviting in comparison to the snow.

Papyrus sighs, turning his back to the door and leaning against it. He shouldn’t feel so nervous, especially about something like this. It’s just some questions to get a second opinion, that’s all. His head  _ thunks _ back against the stone and he thinks he hears something shift on the other side. No sense delaying the inevitable, he thinks, lighting a cigarette.

_ Knock, knock. _

“Golly, now who could that be?” The man’s voice is muffled like it always is, but he can hear the smile in his voice. He always sounds happy to hear him, and it only calms the nervous buzzing in his chest even further.

“who could say?” Papyrus responds, joining in his friend’s chuckling.

“How are you doing, my friend? How is the weather?” There’s the slight tinkle of china. He must have brought some tea along with him. Papyrus hopes it hasn’t gone cold.

“it’s a beautiful day out here. shame there’s nobody to share it with.”

A beat of silence, and then a weak chuckle echoes from the door. Perhaps he shouldn’t be quite so on the nose, but Papyrus does hope to pull his friend from the Ruins one day. If not for himself, then for his friend’s sake.

“Why, it is a good thing you are out here, as whoever sees you will surely be in for a treat.”

“oh?” He knows where this is going. He’s lived with Sans long enough to recognize a setup. “why’s that?”

“Because the pair of us are quite a- _ door- _ able!”

He laughs along with him, even though it’s a stretch, because his sincerity never fails to make him smile. As his friend tells him that he spent all day coming up with that one, Papyrus makes sure to remember it for later. Ever since he’d told his friend how his brother loves puns, his enigmatic friend had always made an effort to think of one to share. Papyrus isn’t totally sure, but something about his voice seems nostalgic when he delivers them – especially when they’re awful.

There was a time – damn, it must have been ages ago – that he thought he might have had a crush on him. But as he got to know him better Papyrus realized he was more like a father. Paternal, in the best kind of way. (The thought never sits completely right in his ribcage, though. He’s not sure why.) He still feels a little swell of affection when he talks to him, but it’s nothing like what he feels towards you.

And what does he feel towards you? That’s part of the reason he wants to talk to his mysterious friend behind the door. Because if there’s anyone he thinks might be able to help him sort out whatever is going on inside his skull, it’s him.

“Truly, though, is anything the matter, my friend? You seem distracted,” He says, and he can hear something brushing against the door. He pictures a hand, reaching out towards him but blocked by stone.

“nah, you know me, just lost my train of thought. if it wasn’t attached to me, i’d lose my own head too.” He chuckles, quickly changing the subject. “chara’s started school since we last talked.”

“Oh,” He says, and he thinks he hears a tinge of sadness inside that voice. “Well. That is wonderful to hear, then.”

“you know, if you’d only pick up the phone, you could hear it straight from the horse’s mouth.” They’ve talked about this before. Papyrus likes to think his friend’s resolve is weakening, but countless resets have taught him that his door friend doesn’t back down easily. He certainly won’t leave the Ruins, but a phone call...

“That, ah, may be true…But if they are doing so well out there, I would hate to intrude.” He responds. Before Papyrus can argue, he adamantly adds, “I am perfectly satisfied hearing from you, my friend.”

Papyrus shrugs. “the kid’s doing well. hasn’t been very long, but they’ve already played with a bunch of their classmates before, so making friends isn’t a problem. and it’s chara, who couldn’t love ‘em?” Papyrus chuckles to himself, fishing his phone out of his pocket. For such a ‘mature child,’ as Chara called themselves, the kid had barely stood still long enough for him to take that photo for you before they ran off into the school. Chara was just as excited at the end of the day, too.

“Golly, that is wonderful! And no one has discovered that Chara is human, surely.” He sounds confident, as if the very thought is ridiculous. Papyrus wishes he still had that kind of faith.

“nope. well, according to alphys, old anorta knows. that old rabbit probably sniffed them out the second they got into snowdin. hasn’t mentioned a thing yet, and probably won’t.”

“Oh, most certainly. That old jokester would not say a word.” He says, chuckling to himself. Another mark for his door-friend being really ancient, then. Papyrus would never broach the subject, but he can’t help but wonder just how old his friend is. How long he’s been in those Ruins, how many humans he’s seen fallen down. Maybe all of them. He’s positive that you would have dozens of questions as well, if you knew. “And Chara’s brother? Is he doing well?”

He hates lying. But, in the end, it isn’t Papyrus’ secret to share. Maybe, if he can bring himself to tell you where he actually sneaks off to during work, he’ll do so. “he’s doing well, he…” He trails off, finger hovering over one of the many photos of you saved on his phone. He has quite a few of you, from when you borrow his phone and leave ridiculous selfies and from Papyrus’ own shots. The one he’s looking at is of you and Chara, your cheeks flushed red from the cold and behind you, a snowman with a familiar scarf on. Even now, Papyrus can’t help but smile softly at it. “he’s happy,” He says, and he can’t keep the tenderness out of his voice.

“Thank you,” The voice says. “Thank you for keeping your word and protecting them for me when I could not.”

“i gotta come clean, i’m not still doing this for you. not anymore, anyway. i’ve been doing this for him… and, well, myself, too.” Papyrus sighs, looking up from his phone to stare out over the snowy path. “i didn’t mention it ever, but the pair of us? we’re kinda involved. romantically.”

“Oh! My friend, this is most fortuitous! Why, I never would have guessed you would be the romantic type, though I am so glad to have been wrong,” He exclaims, and the absolute pride in his voice encourages Papyrus on.

“same here, buddy.” Papyrus thumbs to the next picture. It’s his favorite of one of you. You’re poring over your textbook at night as you lounge on the couch, a look of wonder on your face. The faint light of your phone paints across your face, perfectly highlighting your features as you burrow into the history of monsters. He wonders if you’ll ever become bored with it. If you do, he hopes he can find you something else to wonder over. The others had gone to Sans room to ‘enact battle strategies,’ but you’d been waiting for him to sneak out to Muffet’s. He almost missed his chance to take the picture because he was so caught up in just  _ looking _ at you. Something familiar stirs in his chest. He feels  _ fuller _ as he looks at you. “old man, have you… ever been in love?”

He expects him to hesitate, or perhaps not answer at all. He truly doesn’t know much about him, but for him to want to stay in the Ruins alone… He can’t imagine his story is a happy one. But the answer is immediate. “Oh, yes. A long time ago,” He says, and it pains Papyrus to still hear a tinge of sadness in his voice.

“when did you realize?” He’s never felt like this before, how you make him feel. Scared, and happy, and constantly wanting more of you. So often he’s caught himself just staring in the morning, a part of him mystified by you. What did he ever do to deserve you?

Papyrus wishes he could see his friend, to try and pick apart the look on his face as he thinks of what to say. Instead, he can only chuckle as his friend seems genuinely flustered at his recollection. “Golly, I would say, uh, I suppose, that is when I… When I looked at her, and realized that I did not need anything else for the day to be worthwhile. Just her smile made the day a success.” He chuckles softly, and Papyrus can hear the memories in his voice. “She told me, once, that she would spend hours baking the perfect pie to bring to me. Said I was terrible for making an expert like herself second guess herself. It was, oh, what was it, dis- _ crust _ -ing?” Papyrus shakes his head as his friend laughs at the ancient joke. There’s a pause before he continues. “Forgive me, I am rambling. I would say, however, that if you are asking a question such as that, you might already know the answer to the next one.”

“but how can i know for sure? this is all so new to me, and it’s, it’s so overwhelming. i don’t know what to do, what to say.” Papyrus’ grip on his phone tightens, and he nudges the screen to keep it from turning off. Nervous energy makes him keep shifting against the door. “he’s gorgeous and funny and i want to keep him happy, and he makes  _ me  _ happy. and then i find myself losing track of time just watching him, and i can’t believe that he’s real and there. he’s incredible and…”

Papyrus realizes he’s rambling as he hears the man on the other side of the door start to laugh. A flush rises to his cheeks as he falls silent, shoving his phone and his hands in his pockets.

“My friend, I would think that you are most certainly in love. What do you believe?”

Closing his eyes, he leans back against the door with an audible thunk. He sighs, despite the smile that’s risen to his face. “i think i just might be, old man. i love him.”

* * *

Somewhere in Hotland, inside of a lab, a certain someone lets out a screech.

“Now I have to rewrite the ENTIRE FANFICTION!”

The declaration is followed by robotic laughter.

* * *

Sans is busy adjusting one of his switch puzzles, deep in Snowdin’s forest, when he hears a familiar voice.

“hOI!”

Giving one last examination, Sans nods in approval and turns towards the speaker with a bright smile. There, in the shade of a tree, is a smiling furred creature, some mix of a dog and a cat with long grey hair. He crosses the distance between them and kneels down.

“TEMMIE! IT’S BEEN SO LONG! I WAS GETTING WORRIED THAT YOU HAD  _ FUR _ GOTTEN ABOUT ME!” Sans says, beaming at his friend.

“Sans!” Temmie says, a comical grimace replacing his smile. It falls into a sad frown moments later. “I am so sorry that I scared you, though. I hope you can forgive me.”

He chuckles. “WHY OF COURSE! I, THE  _ SANSATIONAL _ SANS, COULD NEVER HOLD A GRUDGE AGAINST A FRIEND! I’M SO GLAD YOU’RE ALRIGHT!”

The creature heaves a sigh of relief, smiling up at the skeleton and giving a little shake of satisfaction. “It means so much to me that you were worried about little old me. You’re a  _ sansational  _ friend.”

Sans flushes with pride, striking a pose and seemingly missing the slight face Temmie pulls after making the pun. “THANK YOU! I AM, AREN’T I?”

“Of course!” He agrees with a laugh of delight. As his laughter fades his expression sobers, worry etched into his face. “But Sans, I’m a bit worried! Are those humans still living with you?”

“BUT OF COURSE! WORRY NOT, TEMMIE, THE HUMANS HAVE PROVEN THEMSELVES VERY NICE. IN FACT, THE ELDER ONE IS ACTUALLY MY BROTHER’S BONE-FRIEND. I HAVEN’T SEEN HIM SO HAPPY SINCE WE FIRST MOVED TO SNOWDIN.” Sans reaches out and gives Temmie a reassuring pet. He doesn’t notice the grimace that flickers over his features.

“How nice. But what about Captain Alphys? Isn’t she going to be disappointed with you?”

“OH, ALPHYS KNOWS! AND, WELL, SHE WAS A  _ TAD _ UPSET AT FIRST, BUT ONCE SHE GOT THE CHANCE TO KNOW THEM, THEY ALL BECAME FRIENDS! SHE’S ALSO STAYING AT THE HOUSE WITH US TOO, FOR COMPLETELY UNRELATED, ER, FIERY, REASONS.”

“Well that’s wonderful, Sans!” Temmie says, a tight smile on his face. “Does that mean I’m talking with  _ the  _ Royal Guard Sans now? After all, Alphys must have let you in after you found those humans!”

Sans’ smile fades a little and he stands up, wringing his hands. “WELL, NO. NOT YET. BUT I’M SURE SHE HAS HER REASONS. THESE THINGS TAKE TIME.”

Temmie shrugs his shoulders, smiling pleasantly up at the skeleton. “Of course, but… It sure has been a while, and you didn’t  _ really  _ follow orders.”  The creature sighs, a little crease forming between his eyes. After a moment, he gasps. “But that’s okay! What if you brought them straight to the Queen? Then she would definitely see all your skill and bring you into the Royal Guards!”

“THAT IS A GOOD IDEA, BUT I CAN’T DO THAT! THEY’RE MY FRIENDS, AND I DON’T WANT TO SEE THEM GO.” He cups his chin, shaking his head. “THE ROYAL GUARD ISN’T EVERYTHING. AND IF ALPHYS HASN’T BROUGHT ME IN YET, I’M SURE SHE HAS A VERY GOOD REASON.”

With a noncommittal sound, Temmie lays in the snow. “If you think so.”

“I KNOW SO! I HAVE COMPLETE FAITH IN ALPHYS. SHE’S EVEN  _ SCALED  _ UP OUR TRAINING SINCE SHE’S BEEN SLEEPING OVER!” Sans is grinning again, resting his hands on his hips. “BUT YOU’RE A  _ SANSATIONAL  _ FRIEND, TEMMIE, FOR TRYING TO HELP!”

“Of course, Sans. You know me, I just want to see you succeed,” Temmie says. There’s a pause, and the creature suddenly stands up. “But wait! Alphys’ friend you’ve told me about is all the way in Hotland, isn’t she? If Alphys is staying with you guys, have they been able to see each other?”

Sans peers down at him in confusion at the sudden change in topic, but takes it in stride. “DID YOU MEAN DOCTOR UNDYNE? UH, I DON’T THINK SO. OH NO! NOW THAT YOU MENTION IT, THAT IS TERRIBLE. ALPHYS IS SUCH A GOOD FRIEND THAT SHE MUST HAVE BEEN TOO WORRIED TO IMPOSE ON US BY INVITING HER OVER! I’LL NEED TO TELL HER THAT IT’S OKAY!”

“Maybe she could even bring that friend of her, the robot! I’m sure they’d all get along great! The creature says, jittering excitedly. “You have such great friends, I bet they’d all get along wonderfully.”

A tiny, blue-tinged blush spreads across Sans’ cheekbones as he wrings his hands again. “OH, YOU MEAN TERRATON? I SUPPOSE…SHE  _ DID  _ CREATE HIM AFTER ALL, SO THEY’RE PROBABLY VERY CLOSE. BUT I KNOW ALPHYS DOESN’T EXACTLY LIKE HIM…”

“But wouldn’t the humans be so excited to meet him? A real live robot? Plus, I’m sure he’d love the chance to learn modern human music. It couldn’t hurt to ask, right?”

Sans brightens. “YES, THAT’S TRUE! A WONDERFUL POINT! I’LL DO MY BEST, TEMMIE, TO BRING ALL MY FRIENDS AND MY FRIENDS’ FRIENDS TOGETHER!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well here we are, in a brand new year! *confetti* I hope the holidays were fun for all of you, and that this year is a great one. Next chapter, prepare for some friendship fun. I'm sure nothing _fishy_ will happen.
> 
> P.S. Chronicdelusionist is so cool guys, like so cool. 
> 
>  
> 
> _So cool._


	30. Undyne

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [ Onadacora's Original Fic ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/5053684/chapters/11621461) \--- [Chronicdelusionist's Comics](http://onadacora.tumblr.com/tagged/underswap-wtmyh/chrono) \--- [My Tumblr](http://darrelodin.tumblr.com/)

Alphys informs you that a friend of hers named Undyne is going to be coming over this weekend, specifically when everyone will be home from work and school. Sans enlists your help to get the house spotless for her visit. Thankfully there isn’t too much to do, because between the two of you the house stays generally tidy, but you can’t say no to the guy. You’re not sure why, but he seems a little nervous.

Papyrus seems unaffected by the news, though you think his eyes twitch just a little at the mention of someone named Terraton. The name does seem familiar… Shit. That’s the overblown robot DJ from Sans’ favorite radio shows. Also known as: the only form of mass entertainment in the underground. (They have TVs, too,a but the programming is lacking if you’re not a fan of the same three animes over and over.) The short skeleton is quick to inform you that Doctor Undyne created Terraton, and that he might come with her on her visit. Sans certainly seems excited at the thought of it, so you hope he does show up.

So for the next two days, whenever Sans is home, you spend your time cleaning and re-cleaning every possible surface in the brothers’ home. Chara is always quick to hide in Sans’ room, with the excuse of having homework to do. You try not to get jealous of your six-year-old getting out of chores as they calmly shut the door… Nope. Definitely jealous. They’re just too clever for their own good sometimes.

Not wanting to clean the kitchen for the fourth time in two days, when Sans corners you near the sink wringing his hands, you cut him off before he can start speaking. “You know, I’ve been thinking that Paps’ room needs some cleaning! You’re always saying he should keep it cleaner, right?”

Sans stares at you, eye-lights flickering before nodding. “I DIDN’T EVEN CONSIDER HIS ROOM! NOT THAT, WELL, ANYONE ELSE WILL SEE IT SINCE HE DOESN’T LET ANYONE IN THERE… BUT IF YOU CAN DO IT, THEN PLEASE! MAYBE IT’LL GET HIM TO CLEAN IT MORE OFTEN!”

You try not to sound too relieved as you skirt around him to flee the kitchen. Papyrus’ room could definitely use a bit of cleaning, though from the way Sans talks about it sometimes, you’d think it was a warzone. But, you’ve lived with the brothers for over a month. You learned early on that Sans is a stickler for appearances. Considering how the bedroom normally looks, maybe it would be a good idea.

Well, where to start? The piles of dirty laundry stare back at you, answering that question. Grabbing a basket from the laundry room, you return and collect the veritable mountain of dirty socks and other assorted clothes lying about. Almost everything the pair of you wear is cold wash anyway, so tossing it all together should be fine. As you return to the bedroom, Papyrus catches you in the hallway.

Papyrus is in your way, leaning against the wall with his hands shoved in his pockets. He raises a brow ridge at you. “you can say no to my bro, hun. he’d understand if you can’t handle the reckoning.”

“Maybe,” You respond, resting the empty basket on your hip. “But then again, I could also be just using this as an excuse to hide in your room.” Smirking, you glance down into the living room. No sign of Sans. You glance back at Papyrus and lower your voice to just above a whisper. “So what’s the deal? He wasn’t like this with Alphys.”

“’course not. but _terraton_ is coming,” Papyrus says, and you can’t help but chuckle at the emphasis. He turns and leads the way into the bedroom, knowing you’ll follow. “and you don’t have to clean. getting dirty is much more fun.” He lets you into the bedroom first, closing the door behind himself with a wink.

A sly smirk rises to your face. “Well, you do know all about getting dirty.”

“exactly. c’mon hun, don’t you wanna mess around?” He’s pulling you over to the bed the second you drop the laundry basket, one hand running under your shirt. He wiggles his bony eyebrows suggestively. “we can make all sorts of messes.”

You snort, dissolving into laughter with Papyrus, until you suddenly pull him down on top of you. “Sounds like it’ll take some time. Good thing I just threw stuff in the wash.”

“exactly,” He murmurs before leaning down toward your neck.

The first load in the washing machine is done by the time you get around to stripping the bed.

* * *

Papyrus’ grip on you is surprisingly tight as the two of you sit on the couch, waiting for Undyne and Terraton to show up. Sans is standing remarkably still, despite his earlier fidgeting, though that might be due to Alphys’ unrelenting grip on him near the door. You honestly want to get her a paper bag, because it looks like she’s about to start hyperventilating.

Chara is lying on the couch next to you, their head leaning on your thigh as they play a game on your phone. “You know, it’s rude to be late.” They say, vocalizing what you’re sure _he_ would have said.

Everyone jumps – even Papyrus – when a sudden knock at the door interrupts your answer. Good thing too, because the look on Alphys’ face screamed bloody murder. The lizard and short skeleton break apart only to practically slam into each other as they fight for the door handle. Alphys manages to shove herself past Sans and fling open the door. You give Chara a tap, getting up with them. Papyrus follows you soon after, his hand not quite leaving your back.

“U-UNDYNE! You’re here! O-of course you’re here.” Alphys says, backing up into Sans as she tries to make room to let her friend into the house.

After another confused scuffle in the entryway, there’s finally enough space for a tall, thin figure to make their way inside. She’s wrapped in a long coat with a long fish-scale patterned scarf wrapped around her head. The only visible part of her face is a pair of wide, yellow, fish-like eyes, though her bright red hair is pretty eye-catching too.

“OH, I HAD THOUGHT TERRATON WAS COMING WITH YOU,” Sans says, poorly hiding his disappointment.

Alphys is busy helping Undyne unwind her scarf, gradually revealing a blue fish-like creature (her name is surprisingly appropriate), about as tall as Papyrus. Actually, she might be a bit taller, but it’s hard to tell - she’s a little hunched over. She’s looking down at Alphys, face flushed and eyes sparkling.

“T-Terraton? He, uh, was busy! Couldn’t make it, what a shame,” Undyne rushes out in a quiet, nasally voice, adjusting her glasses and shooting Sans a sad look. Her voice drops to barely above a whisper at the sight of him. “I’m terribly sorry.”

You think you feel Papyrus relax a little bit at your side, but you aren’t sure why.

“Don’t be! YOU were the one I invited, not that boombox on wheels,” Alphys blurts out, giving Sans a sharp look. You’re a bit taken aback at the vehemence in her voice as she helps Undyne out of her winter coat. To his credit, Sans doesn’t seem to react as Undyne dreamily stares at Alphys while she turns to place the coat on the nearby hanger.

You give Undyne what you hope is a friendly smile as she finally turns to you, but it probably comes off more exasperated than anything else. Just watching the two monsters makes you want to groan. “Hey there.”

“Hello.” Undyne murmurs, trying her best to smile back at you. Boy oh boy, that is a lot of teeth.

“OH!” Alphys blurts out, tugging Undyne forward, until she’s practically right in front of you. “This is the human I had, uh, told you about, the one dating Papyrus! And his kid, Chara!”

“Greetings!” Chara says, a pleasant smile on their face.

She gives a small nod in response, her smile widening, somehow. She turns to you again, and you briefly consider shaking her hand, but with how jittery she seems you switch to a wave instead.

Papyrus just nods. “’sup undyne,” He greets casually.

“Hey Papyrus,” She says, looking between the two of you and the way that he’s pressed close to your side. She clasps her reedy fingers together and glances at Alphys, making eye contact and giggling. “I see you’re doing very well.”

Fuck, the pair of you are blushing and it’s only making Alphys fangirl harder at the sight of you. Chara makes a gagging sound from nearby as Paps says “what can i say? he likes bad boys.”

“W-what?!”

As you sputter in response, Sans calls out, “WHY, BROTHER! ARE YOU SAYING YOU ARE BAD TO THE _BONE_?”

Groans echo from all of you (except Chara of course, who runs up gives the smug skeleton a high five), but thankfully the conversation moves on from your dating life. Papyrus tugs you back onto the couch with him, fingers moving to thread themselves through yours as Chara inserts themselves into Alphys and Undyne’s conversation. You think you hear the mention of anime and suddenly Undyne is all volume, fervently describing something involving swordfight choreography. Alphys just watches her in silence, seemingly unable to look away. You nudge Papyrus with your shoulder.

“I am physically in pain watching these two,” You mutter under your breath, Papyrus chuckling in response. “Can I just play wingman and save us all the struggle?”

“sans mentioned something similar a while ago. you’d think one of them would pick up on it,” Papyrus says, shrugging his shoulders. “i’m sure all they need is a little push.”

With introductions out of the way, everyone seems to relax a bit. Sans pulls the chairs out of the kitchen so there’s more room to sit and passes out the lunch you prepared earlier. Papyrus doesn’t speak up too much, except of course to throw in some great jokes. Much to your surprise, Undyne actually finishes one of his punchlines for him. After a startled pause, Papyrus and Alphys start laughing (even though Alphys hadn’t laughed at any of Papyrus’ other jokes) and Undyne flushes with pleasure.

You like Undyne. She’s a bit nervous and you can hardly hear her speak half the time, but once she gets started on a topic she will passionately start breaking it down for anyone who’ll listen. At one point she starts talking to Chara about some show she must love, and it takes her a few minutes to realize she’s been rambling nonstop without even shouting. Alphys just watches, enraptured as she talks. Are the pair of them truly that dense? It reminds you all too much of the way Papyrus looks when you catch him staring.

As the conversation lulls, you recall the conversation you’d overheard while you were sick. “Undyne, I have to ask, how hard is it to keep up with this guy?”

She blinks at you, and you feel Papyrus turn to face you. His brow-bones are raised. “U-uh, what do you mean?” Undyne asks.

“In your prank war, you know? I mean, living with the guy is hard enough, but actively going at it sounds terrible.” Out of the corner of your eye, Papyrus’ look of confusion slowly shifts into a sly grin. Undyne starts to sweat.

“oh, it was a prank _war_ , undyne? you should’ve mentioned it to me.” You don’t think you’ve seen this level of ‘shit-eating-grin’ on Papyrus’ face _ever_. “i thought we were just playing around. an actual war… well, guess i better prep my whoopee cushions.”

You’re honestly kind of worried that Undyne is about to dehydrate from sweat loss alone.

“PAPYRUS!” Sans cries out. “WHY MUST YOU LET YOUR LAZINESS SLIP EVEN INTO A COMPETITION? IF YOU ARE TO WIN, YOU WILL NEED MY ASSISTANCE!”

“’course i do bro. you’re the greatest, after all.”

Alphys jumps to her feet and lets out a laugh. “Oh yeah? Well in that case, I’LL be helping Undyne CRUSH you two nerds!”

Well. This seems like a good time to put away the dishes. As you rise to your feet, you are positive you catch Undyne staring with an intensive thoughtfulness as Papyrus’ hand lingers on your back a moment. A glance back reveals Papyrus blushing a little as the fish monster hastily looks away.

When you get back and settle on the couch again, Papyrus has the barest hint of a frown on his face. Following his line of sight, you see Undyne typing up something on her phone as it buzzes in her hands. She looks nervous.

“Is something wrong?” Alphys asks, frowning at the phone.

“HUH? Oh, no, everything is perfectly, wonderfully alright!” Undyne blurts out, her smile straining across her face and shoving her phone in her pocket. You can still hear it buzzing.

“is that right?” Papyrus asks.

Alphys leans forward in her seat. “Who’s blowing up your phone?”

“No one important!”

“Are they bothering you, Undyne?”

“Of course not!” Undyne says, but the constant buzzing hasn’t stopped and she looks no closer to calm. She’s starting to sweat again too.

“Cuz if they are, I’ll beat them up for you!” Alphys grimaces, flexing her arms.

Undyne opens her mouth to answer when there’s a loud, insistent knock at the door. You look at Papyrus, Papyrus looks at you, and you both look at the others. Alphys, Chara and Sans all look as confused as you feel, but it’s Undyne that has the most worrying reaction. Her eyes are wide and her hands are closed into fists tightly in her lap, staring at the door.

As Sans gets up to answer it, Undyne lets out a startled sound. “Don’t!” She says, but he doesn’t listen.

The moment the door opens, a familiar rectangular robot rolls his way into the room. Sans’ jaw drops as the blue and yellow squares on his front display blink into the shape of a ‘T’ and a pair of comically large hands wave lazily at the room. Papyrus is on his feet in a rush, angling himself between you and Terraton. You stand up and grasp his shoulder, confused.

“Undyne, my dude!” Terraton says. His voice is laid back and friendly, overlaid with a robotic distortion. His long arms cross in front of his body, as if he had a chest.

“T-TERRATON!” Undyne squeaks, eyes wide. She appears to be trying to shrink into her seat. “Fancy seeing you here! Haha, didn’t you, uh, have a show TODAY?”

“What’s a show when there’s two brand new fans to meet? And _humans_ !” Terraton’s display blinks a few times before settling back into the ‘T’ pattern. “Dude, I’d be _crazy_ to miss an opportunity like this!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, an update within a week?! Crazy. I'm heading back to college this weekend, however, so I'm trying to get as much writing done as possible. 
> 
> P.S. Chronicdelusionist makes some rad stuff; go check them out!


	31. Terraton

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [ Onadacora's Original Fic ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/5053684/chapters/11621461) \--- [Chronicdelusionist's Comics](http://onadacora.tumblr.com/tagged/underswap-wtmyh/chrono) \--- [My Tumblr](http://darrelodin.tumblr.com/)

“Undyne, dude, you know how radical humans are! I’d _kill_ for the chance to meet one.” Terraton points a couple of finger guns at you and Papyrus’ hand tenses, almost yanking you back. “Thankfully there’s some cool dudes right here!”

“Right, right,” Undyne mumbles, squirming further into her seat. You cringe as she wipes her forehead with her arm. “I only thought, what with your recording sessions and plans…”

“Pssh, they can wait!” Terraton says, laughing.

“WELL IT’S _SANSATIONAL_ THAT YOU COULD MAKE IT, TERRATON!” Sans’ voice sounds a little higher than normal, and he hasn’t managed to move from his spot by the door. He seems to realize it after a moment, because he quickly shuts the door and comes to stand with the rest of the group. “IT’S SO COOL TO SEE YOU AGAIN! YOUR LATEST ALBUM BLEW ME AWAY!”

Terraton tilts his body just enough to give what you can only describe as a glance at Sans, though he doesn’t have any eyes. Maybe the blinking display on his front? It’s probably more _magic_.

“Sans, right? Thanks, dude. But my stuff is nothing compared to what the humans got.” The robot sounds honest, but wow. Laying it on a little thick there, buddy. You feel bad for Sans.

Not that Sans seems to even notice the way Terraton dismisses him. The skeleton’s grin is wide and he’s kind of gone limp. A set of sparkles hover around his eyes, and his eyelights look suspiciously like stars. You’re glad that Sans isn’t upset, but seriously that’s pretty rude.

“HE REMEMBERED MY NAME!”

Alphys rolls her eye, giving Terraton an annoyed look. “Of course he does. The overblown speaker isn’t that popular.”

It takes you a second to realize that you didn’t imagine a record screech. Terraton’s screen flashes blue and yellow rapidly before going dark. There’s a moment of silence as the robot refuses to acknowledge Alphys’ comment. Undyne clears her throat, eyes darting between her two friends.

Chara slides off their chair, walking up to Terraton and holding out their hand. Papyrus makes an abortive gesture, like he wants to reach out and pull them back. You’re never seen Papyrus so nervous around someone. What gives? You nudge him a bit, but his attention doesn’t waver from the robot.

“Hello. It’s a high note to meet a major star like you,” Chara says politely, not even the hint of a smile on their face. “I’m Chara.”

“We got a mini-punster here, eh? Cool stuff, my dude!” Terraton exclaims, quickly grasping Chara’s hand and closing it into a fist. “This is how we greet each other in the city, little bruh!” He says, as he gives a fist bump. Chara is already giggling, smiling brightly up at him.

You think you feel Papyrus relax by a fraction as he settles back, no longer looking like he wants to dart forward. He still hasn’t taken his hand off your shoulder, though, and you can see the tension in his jawline.

“I’m a big fan too! We hear you on the radio every night, and we watch your music videos on TV,” Chara tells him proudly.

“Righteous! Knew humans had good taste,” He says with a short, robotic laugh.

While Chara and Terraton talk, Alphys nudges Undyne to lean down before saying something you can’t make out.

You’re still feeling in a pretty awkward position, what with Papyrus hovering over your shoulder in silence. He clearly doesn’t like Terraton, but Chara seems excited to talk to the robot. Well, best to judge for yourself. You feel Papyrus’ gaze on you but he doesn’t say anything as you free yourself from his grasp, walking up to stand behind Chara. You rest your hands on their shoulders and grin.

“Hey there, sorry for not introducing myself,” You say, telling him your name. “I’m Chara’s dad.”

Terraton slaps your arm and a chuckle escapes him. “Totally fine, dude,” He says before wheeling around you, tugging you partially away from Chara to… Do whatever the hell it is he’s doing. If he had eyes, you’d think he was looking you up and down. “Hey, you work out? Makes the ink on your arm really pop, bro.”

“Uh, a bit? Haven’t really since we fell down.” You respond, thrown off by the sudden question.

“Bro! Guess Snowdin doesn’t really have a gym around. But you know what does? The capital, and dude, it is _the_ place to be. You gotta come by, you’ll have such a party.” Terraton sounds incredibly enthusiastic about such an event. He snaps his fingers and plants his finger (wait, does he only have four?) on your chest. “Actually, you definitely need to come, dude! I can finally have a human’s taste in music. You got any music, you a music fan?”

“Yeah, I’ve got a bunch on my phone.” Wait, did you agree to going with him or liking music? Everything is going way too fast.

In a flash, Terraton is on top of you, plucking your phone out of your hands. “In this old thing? Undyne, are you seeing this?” He says, waving it in front of her face.

“Terraton, you shouldn’t really-” Undyne starts to say, her voice barely audible and quickly falling to a mumble.

“Oh lighten up, dude! I’m just showing the human’s sweet gear.” He swivels back to you, tugging you closer. “Come on back to my place, dude. I’ll show you an epic time.”

Is this some poor attempt at hitting on you? God, this is worse than high school. You don’t have time to respond, however, before Papyrus is at your side again, one arm on your waist to pull you back. You glance at him, startled to see a flicker of orange in his right eye.

“i’ll say it once. let go of him or undyne will have a pile of scrap to play with,” He snaps, and you can feel a hint of static in the air, a crackle of magic.

What.

“PAP, THAT WAS TERRIBLY RUDE!” “Terraton, you really shouldn’t…” “Paps, a little much.”

You have no idea what Chara is thinking and above the rest of you reacting is Alphys’ roar of laughter. As you glance back at her, she smacks her knee and clutches her sides, shaking her head. “That was HILARIOUS! Just like in episode three, when Mew Mew's ultimate rival threatens her friend and she -"

"We got it," You breathe.

It very much does not feel like an anime right now. Undyne is watching Papyrus, and you think she looks legitimately worried. She’s on her feet and inching towards Terraton. When you turn back to the skeleton at your side, the orange in his eye and the tingle of magic are gone. His face is broken out into a wide grin and he gives Terraton a lazy shrug, though the hand resting on your side is still holding on tight. “yeah. hilarious.”

“... you got me, alphys,” Papyrus says, after a moment, with a chuckle that is definitely forced. He isn’t making eye contact with you, instead looking at the robot. “think about it, terraton. You could make a lot of money off of cartoons for kids. ”

“PAPYRUS, YOU WEREN’T VERY FUNNY!” Sans grumbles, eye-lights narrowing at him at the same that Alphys shoots the taller skeleton a truly terrifying death glare.

Undyne mumbles something you can’t quite hear, and Chara is eyeing Terraton and Papyrus with a tiny frown. The robot’s display flickers a bit, and he sways a little side to side. You hear a quiet grinding sound, then Terraton is suddenly laughing, cheery music playing from somewhere.

“Bro, it’s all good. And hey, Nerd-dyne over here would love that,” He says, his voice sounding just as calm and relaxed as before Papyrus’ threat.

“yeah, sure she would,” Papyrus grumbles. He gives you a gentle tug away from Terraton, back toward the couch.

Okay, polite time is over. “Paps, could I talk to you for a sec?” You nod your head toward the kitchen.

“’course, hun,” He says, finally looking at you. His eyes look apologetic, at least.

As you pass between Sans and Terraton, you notice Undyne slip over to go speak to the robot, fists clenched at her sides.

The moment you have Papyrus away from the others and out of sight, you pull out of his grasp and look him right in the eyes. “What was that all about?”

“here’s your phone.”

“Huh?” He hands it to you. You hadn’t even realized he’d taken it from Terraton. “Thanks. Answer, please.”

He reaches out and grasps your arms, leaning down to eye level with you. “you can’t trust terraton.”

No sign of a joke here, but you can’t help sighing at that. “And why’s that? Because he was hitting on me? I’m spoken for.”

His eye sockets widen. “what? no, that’s not why. he’s just dangerous.”

“Paps, I need a little more than that. The second Terraton entered the house, you’ve been on edge. I’ve never seen you like this before, what gives?”

The skeleton leans back a little, seeming to struggle with something. You’ve ruled out jealousy; Papyrus isn’t one to get like that. “look, he’s too self-centered not to be trying to use you or chara.”

“Why? The only thing we could give is my playlist and…” Souls. Human souls. Fuck, that’s why he didn’t want Chara near Terraton. Your realization must show on your face, because Papyrus nods slowly and pulls you a little closer.

“you remember reading about it, right? just because the queen wants your soul, doesn’t mean other monsters might not go for it too.” You’re hugging at this point, his voice whispering into your ear. “please protect yourself. you and chara both.”

It’s just so crazy to think about. Terraton isn’t anywhere near as threatening as Alphys was… But Alphys still sought your soul at one point. You press a kiss to Papyrus’ jaw before pulling back. “I will. But, is he seriously _that_ self-centered? It’s pretty obvious we aren’t causing any trouble.”

Something flashes across Papyrus’ face, but then he’s chuckling. “with how he’s treated undyne? definitely.”

“Well in that case, feeding him some music might get him off our case for a bit.” You reach up, stroking his cheek-bone, softly smiling at the way he leans into you. “After all, this soul of mine is already taken.”

An affectionate gaze looks back at you. “no japes?” He asks, raising a hand to mirror you.

You’re blushing despite yourself. He always manages to do this to you. “Not one. I’m sticking with you. I’m yours. So no worry or jealousy, okay?”

A curt nod. “you know i’m yours too, right? cuz, i-”

“PAPYRUS? LARGE HUMAN? STOP HIDING IN THE KITCHEN, TERRATON AND DOCTOR UNDYNE ARE GOING TO LEAVE. PAPYRUS! YOU HAD BETTER APOLOGIZE FOR BEING RUDE.”

Sans’ shrill voice makes you both jump, startled apart. You share a laugh. Maybe having a moment in the middle of a visit wasn’t the _best_ timing on your part. Papyrus is a little flushed, fidgeting slightly before shoving his hands in his pockets.

“let’s pop back in. otherwise he’ll start throwing puns at us.”

You trust Papyrus. He’s been watching out for you and Chara for so long. But even as you follow him back, you can’t help feeling that there’s something the skeleton isn’t telling you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Boom! That's right, that's two whole updates in a week! Crazy, I know. Alas, speed updates shall not continue to be 'A Thing (tm),' as I go back to college on Monday. But don't you worry, I'll strive for once a week updates.
> 
> P.S. Special thanks to Chronicdelusionist for saving my terrible jokes and their sweet art fueling my writing passion.


	32. A Midnight Snack

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [ Onadacora's Original Fic ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/5053684/chapters/11621461) \--- [Chronicdelusionist's Comics](http://onadacora.tumblr.com/tagged/underswap-wtmyh/chrono) \--- [My Tumblr](http://darrelodin.tumblr.com/)

_ "on days like these, kids like you…” _

_ “S h o u l d  b e  b u r n i n g  i n  h e l l.” _

Chara’s eyes fly open, fear making their skin prickle as they jolt awake. The broad skeleton next to them is still fast asleep.

Raising a small hand to their chest, Chara can feel their heart pounding beneath their ribs. Phantom pain echoes in all along their spine, a half-remembered memory of their nightmare. That’s all it is, a nightmare. Sitting up, the warm orange glow of a night light greets Chara, and something about the color makes a sick feeling of guilt stir in their chest. The squeeze their eyes shut, slowly laying back down onto the bed.

Hollow eye sockets, bones whirling around them, huge fangs, golden light…

Chara’s eyes shoot back open and they shudder. Already the images of their nightmare are fading away, leaving behind the fear and a stabbing pain all over their body. Despite the blankets and oversized pajamas, they feel cold. Chara shivers and their muscles twitch until they finally give in to the nagging need to be on their feet.

Padding quietly towards the door, Chara glances back at Sans. He’s sprawled out on the bed, his pillow knocked to the floor. The soft creak of hinges goes unnoticed, as does Chara’s absence as they slip out of the room.

The house is dark, but there’s just enough light filtering in through the windows for Chara to see. With a deep breath, they walk down towards Papyrus’ room. You told them that if they ever needed you that they could come get you. And after that nightmare, even though they can’t remember it anymore, they  _ need _ you. Yours was always the room they’d creep to in the middle of the night, even before they knew the truth. That you weren’t ‘Big Bro’, but instead, ‘Dad.’

But this isn’t just your room anymore. You aren’t alone, and for some reason the thought of Papyrus makes them a little nervous. Chara freezes outside the door, hesitating with their hand outstretched for the knob. Their toes clench and unclench the matted fibers of the carpet’s piling.

**Don’t know why you’re bothering.**

Chara flinches, clenching their jaw even as they lower their hand into a fist.

**I wouldn’t trust him either. Or anyone. Won’t hurt that way.**

_ That’s childish of you. _

**Oh? Who’s running for someone to protect them? I’m right here, after all.**

_ I trust my family. I can’t trust someone who wants me to hurt them. _

The voice fades into grumbling at that, though Chara feels a twinge of sadness. Each passing week the voice has spoken less and less, and now they go entire days without whispering in their head. A month and a half ago the voice’s promises of protection and power were tempting, the fears they latched onto real and terrifying. But now the voice is little more than an annoyance; a tickle at the back of their mind. Almost an acquaintance.

Chara wonders what it must be like to be trapped inside someone else’s mind, with no control. The voice painted a depressing picture of a black void with little to decorate it, and Chara sometimes feels bad for the voice. But those feelings just make the voice lash out, spewing hurtful words that make Chara freeze up. They learned weeks ago that pity is the thing the voice hates most.

Distracted by the discourse going on in their own head, Chara doesn’t realize that there’s movement going on behind Papyrus’ door until it starts to open. They jump, startled, as they look up, up into the hollow eye sockets above them. Papyrus stutters to a halt, halfway through the door as he catches sight of Chara. He’s pale in the dark, white bones standing out against a black tank top and shorts. Without his poofy hoodie, he looks beanpole-thin. There’s a moment where they just stare at each other, unsure of what to say.

“hey there, kiddo. couldn’t sleep?” Papyrus asks, smoothly stretching his arm behind himself. Chara thinks he has something in his hand, but can’t quite make it out. 

Chara isn’t sure why, but Papyrus’ presence isn’t as comforting as it should be. Standing in the hall with the skeleton looming over them, they feel a little… Anxious. They don’t understand this feeling bubbling deep under the surface.

“kiddo?” Papyrus says. He reaches out with his right hand to touch their shoulder, and Chara flinches. He lowers his arm, his movements a little stiff. Chara can’t help but think he looks cautious.

Rubbing their arms, Chara looks down, taking deep breaths. “…I had a nightmare,” They mumble.

The tension seeps out of Papyrus’ body, though Chara doesn’t see it. When they do look back up, they’re surprised to see Papyrus has knelt down. “d’you want me to get your dad? he’s still sleeping, but i’m sure he’d-”

The vigorous shaking of Chara’s head cuts him short. Biting their lip, they glance back at him. “Did you have a nightmare too?”

Hesitating, Papyrus shakes his head. “not this time,” He admits. After a pause, he gives Chara a kind smile before rising up and stepping fully into the hallway. “i think i got something that might help out, though. c’mon, let’s go to the kitchen.”

Not bothering to wait for a reply, he quietly closes the door behind himself and skirts around them, walking down the stairs. Chara quickly follows behind them, and they almost ask him what he’s doing before a loud snore from Alphys reminds them to be quiet. Soon, Papyrus is flicking on the stove’s overhead light and filling the teakettle from the sink. There’s just enough light to see each other clearly without disturbing Alphys.

“take a seat, kiddo,” Papyrus murmurs, waving a hand towards the kitchen table. Chara doesn’t flinch at the movement this time. “only be a sec’.”

Doing as they’re told, they sit down with their back to the kitchen’s doorway, watching intently as Papyrus rummages in one of the cupboards. He pulls out a familiar blue canister and Chara barely manages to withhold a cheer. A faint orange glow grabs their attention, as the skeleton points his right hand at a pair of mugs and whisks them down with his magic.

“Are you - are you making what I think you’re making?” Chara asks, unable to hide the excitement in their voice.

“no idea. can’t read minds,” Papyrus says, looking over his shoulder and winking.

He pulls open another cupboard and Chara hears the rustling of a plastic bag. They try to see around Papyrus’ body to get a peek at what they  _ know  _ is there, but he’s keeping the view blocked on purpose. Chara crosses their arms and leans back in the chair, watching.

Putting the bag away, Papyrus turns to face Chara, leaning back against the counter. Two mugs sit beside him, spoon handles poking up out of them. One mug has the words “WORLD’S COOLEST BROTHER” written on it in familiar, stocky handwriting. The other has a worn-off image of a small, fluffy dog posing in a pink bikini. Written in bold letters, it says “Beauty.”

“So, why are you awake if you didn’t have a nightmare?” Chara asks, giving Papyrus a curious look.

Papyrus raises a brow, like he wasn’t expecting the question. “well kiddo, that’s a long story. nothing you need to worry about.”

“Does Dad know? Since you’re  _ dating _ and all,” They ask, making a face at the word ‘dating.’

Papyrus chuckles at that. “he knows more than most.”

“Does it help? Telling someone?”

“you’re one curious kid,” Papyrus says before he nods slowly, a soft smile rising to his face. “but yeah, it does, chara. that someone understands me helps, at least a little bit.”

Chara squints at him, squirming a little in their seat. “Wouldn’t it help more if you talked to more people? Like Sans. He’d be happy to help you! That’s what brothers do.”

Blinking, Papyrus almost doesn’t notice as the kettle starts pluming steam. He turns and yanks it off the stove before it starts to whistle. With his back to Chara, he pours boiling water into the mugs and the clinking of metal against ceramic fills the silence. Then Papyrus carefully picks up the mugs and brings them to the table, setting the one with the dog in front of Chara.

All thoughts of questioning Papyrus further vanish as Chara takes the warm mug between their hands. There’s a thick layer of melting marshmallows on top and they grin at the sweet scent of sugar and chocolate wafting up. The skeleton takes a seat at an angle to Chara, rolling his own drink between his hands and grinning.

“hot chocolate is the best remedy for nightmares,” Papyrus says, leaning back into his chair. “sans used to make it for me all the time when we were kids. always perked me right up. that sweet tooth of mine’s never left, nyeh heh.”

Chara tilts their head. “What was it like, growing up down here?”

Papyrus looks up, seemingly lost in thought. “couldn’t really tell ya. i don’t remember much about my childhood, ‘cept that sans was always supporting me. helped get me into a science program, even though…” He frowns, seemingly unable to remember, and shrugs. “eh, doesn’t matter. point is, it was probably like growing up on the surface, just without a sun or any humans.”

“But with magic.” Chara says, before taking a sip of their drink. It burns a little, but it’s so rich and sweet they don’t care. Setting it down, they murmur. “And nice people.”

Papyrus hesitates, lowering his mug. Chara feels smiles up at him, adding, “It’s okay now, though! I’m happy down here, and so is Dad. Everything is great.” The voice scoffs, but doesn’t say anything.

“that’s good to hear. but you know, not everyone down here is super nice, either.” At their disbelieving face, he leans in conspiratorially. “i hear that some monsters come up with  _ terrible  _ puns to say to each other.”

Chara giggles, sneaking another sip of chocolate. “That’s too bad. You should  _ pun _ -ish them.”

The skeleton shakes his head, smiling despite himself. As Chara watches, he raises his own drink up, carefully pouring it straight into his mouth. Somehow, not even a drop lands on his shirt. As he sets the mug down Chara starts laughing, almost spilling their drink. He’s got marshmallows stuck to his teeth. Chara points.

“hmm? have i been japed?” Papyrus asks, eyes widening. “heh, hoist by my own petard.”

Unable to cover their mouth, Chara laughs even harder. They realize their mistake, looking abashed as they glance towards the living room. When they look back at Papyrus the marshmallows on his teeth are gone.

Still smiling and feeling a lot better, Chara sucks in a mouthful of melted marshmallow off the top of their mug and then washes it down with a gulp of cocoa.

“chara, you know you can talk to me. like you said, telling someone might help, right?” Papyrus is watching them, and Chara can almost feel the concern in his gaze as he studies their face.

Chara smiles, taking a long slow sip from their mug instead of answering.

**He’s just trying to make you feel better so** **_he’ll_ ** **be happy. He’s even bribing you!**

_ That’s not true. _

**You can’t believe that. You’ve seen it before.**

_ He didn’t have to do any of this for me, but he did. Stop being so childish. _

**Then go ahead, tell him all about the voice in your head! Like he’ll ever trust you again.**

_ What’s that supposed to mean? _

Silence.

Should they tell Papyrus the truth? Would he believe them if they told him about the voice? Magic and monsters are one thing, but hearing voices? As much as Chara wants to ignore that last cryptic message, thoughts of their nightmare resurface. Why did seeing Papyrus make them anxious?

“kiddo, you can trust me, i wanna help,” Papyrus presses gently. “everyone here: me, your dad, sans, alphys… we all care about you.”

Silence reigns in their mind, though Chara can feel them listening, almost daring them to speak up.

Eyes dropping to the mug clutched tight in their hands, Chara can’t do it. You’d get worried, when Papyrus told you. But they can’t just outright lie. They’d hate that. “I know. But it was just a nightmare. A really scary one, but all I can remember is being scared and hurting.”

Papyrus lets out a small, disappointed sigh and Chara feels guilt twist their insides. They wonder if Papyrus can tell that they’re hiding something. “don’t worry about it. as long as the hot chocolate helped a bit. it did help, right?”

When they look up, Papyrus is smiling like nothing’s wrong. Relief floods through Chara, and they smile back. “Yeah, a  _ skele _ -ton! Thanks, Papyrus.”

He winces at the pun, but winks back. “anytime kiddo. glad you’re feeling better. think you’re-” Papyrus looks away towards the living room, his expression brightening. “hey hun, we were just… you doing okay?”

Chara pivots in their chair and sees you standing in the doorway, a pained expression on your face. Your arms are crossed over your chest, hugging yourself, as you look into the room. You shake your head, but the smile on your face doesn’t seem real.

“Hmm?” You blink, looking at Papyrus. “Just wondering where you went, Paps. I didn’t expect to see Chara down here with you.” Your eyes shift to Chara. “Everything okay, squirt? You weren’t up playing with Sans or something, were ya?”

“kiddo had a nightmare and i happened to catch them in the hall when i got up,” Papyrus tells you, and after a moment something shifts and your smile seems more genuine. Chara relaxes into the chair.

“You could’ve gotten me up, Paps, I wouldn’t have minded. But thanks.” You say, turning your attention back to Chara. “You alright now?”

Chara nods, glancing at Papyrus. He’s just watching the two of you. “You were sleeping so I didn’t want to wake you, and Papyrus helped. He made me hot chocolate!”

“Did he now? That was nice of him.” You say, smirking at Papyrus. The skeleton chuckles, rubbing his cheekbones as an orange tinge lights them up. Chara sticks their tongue out at you, grabbing your attention. “So if you’re feeling all better, you ready to come back to sleep? You can even stay with me if you want.”

Chara nods at you, carefully climbing down out of the chair and running over to you. They let out a giggle as you lift them in your arms, hugging them tightly.

“You ready to come back too?” You ask Papyrus.

“’course hun. but i gotta hold you too. no way this big kid over here’s gonna fit otherwise.”

You sputter, and Chara gags. “Stop being all mushy.” They grumble.

“you heard the kid, hun.”

With a soft chuckle, the three of you head upstairs.

* * *

_ The sakura blossoms danced in the air around me as I plodded up the long stairway. They say that spring symbolizes new beginnings - fitting for the beginning of a new term. At a new school, no less… _

_ ‘Delta Academy’. A school both prestigious and notorious. It was famous for its various programs, its quality staff, and of course, the monsters that went there. _

_ ‘Monsters’... I, of course, was human. I wasn’t even sure how my application had been accepted. Maybe it had been an administrative accident. Maybe no human had ever applied before…? _

_ I shook these thoughts from my head, cresting the hill and seeing the school building come into sight. My jaw dropped. The construction was new, but the architecture may as well have been out of the pages of a history book; long stone pillars, neat runes carved in conspicuous locations. It was purple, mainly, carved out of a stone with a hue I’d never seen before. There was a puzzle by the entrance, blocking immediate entry. _

_ I was quickly knocked out of my train of thought when I walked right into somebody. So much for first impressions. I apologized hastily, regaining my footing, and felt a steadying hand on my shoulder. _

_ “Sorry, sorry, I wasn’t… Looking…” I looked up and met the eyes of a tall skeleton monster. My heart skipped a beat. _

_ “s’alright.” He said, pausing to take a drag on a cigarette. He looked my uniform up and down, and if he was surprised, he hid it well. I felt my cheeks heat up. “new guy, huh? … that’s hilarious. i’m papyrus.” _

* * *

_ “that’s toriel. president of the school.” Papyrus glanced through his cigarette smoke, adding, “and our home room teacher.” _

_ Shit. “Why does she carry a sword around?” _

_ “discipline.” _

_ Double shit. _

* * *

_ “Okay, but… How am I supposed to help win a tea ceremony contest?” I peered at Undyne skeptically and came up with nothing. Then I peered at Alphys behind her and came up with ‘Shenanigans’ in big neon letters. She was grinning ear to ear. _

_ “It’s EASY!” She assured me, loud enough for the next hall over to hear, “There are teams of two, and you’re great at weird useless junk -” _

_ “- Cultural traditions -” Undyne cut in helpfully. _

_ “-Weird useful junk like that!” Alphys finished, winding me with a friendly whack between the shoulder blades. I grimaced. _

_ “So…” I paused to wheeze a little, “Assuming I decided to compete… Who would my teammate be?” _

_ The two of them both grinned unnervingly. _

_ “Papyrus.” They said, in unison, and I felt like I’d been yanked off my feet. I gulped. _

* * *

_ I felt his presence appear behind me on the balcony as a sudden displacement of air. I let out a breath, running my fingers through my hair in some vain attempt not to look as rattled as I was. _

_ “hey- look, i-” _

_ “It’s fine,” I turned to look back at the skeleton, his body silhouetted by the lights of the school dance behind him. A tendril of smoke snaked its way from where a cigarette was grasped in his forefingers - Unsurprising, even though it wasn’t even remotely allowed. “I’m fine.” _

_ He looked me up and down for a moment before striding over to join me, leaning on the railing casually. _

_ “you don’t look very, uh, fine.” Papyrus said, somehow managing to make the word “uh” sound like a planned part of the sentence and not a stumbling point. “in fact, i’d say you look pretty sad. y’know.  _ real _ sad, standing-alone-in-the-rain, the works.” _

_ “No shit,” I mumbled, sinking into the railing myself. I cast my eyes out onto the grounds. “... Why’re you here? Now?” _

_ I felt an arm around my side and a surprisingly strong tug, and then I was inches from Papyrus’ face. I was sure my cheeks were red, as much as I felt them burning. _

_ “i’m here to say i’m sorry. and maybe have a dance or two.” I felt a bony hand on my cheek. _

_ “P-Papyrus…” The name escaped me in a breath, as I _

“HEY UNDYNE, whatcha doing?” Alphys’ hand comes down on Undyne’s hair and then bobs right back up when the scientist jumps a clear two feet in the air.

“NGAAAAAAH!” She jams Alt-Tab in the blink of an eye, leaving behind only a tab labelled ‘gift fic’ on the taskbar. “N-n-n-nothing!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have finally worked out how to embed artwork into chapters, so enjoy the wonderful pics by chronicdelusionist! And all credit for the incredible Undyne fic at the end goes to them as well; we've been sitting on this for _months_ and couldn't wait to show you all!


	33. It's Fine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [ Onadacora's Original Fic ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/5053684/chapters/11621461) \--- [Chronicdelusionist's Comics](http://onadacora.tumblr.com/tagged/underswap-wtmyh/chrono) \--- [My Tumblr](http://darrelodin.tumblr.com/)

You wake up shivering. It takes you a moment to realize that it’s because Chara has the blankets wrapped around themselves, leaving you bare. Gray light filters in through the window, the dim color of morning in Snowdin. No soft orange sunrises here.

Chara is lying at an angle, their backside pressed into your ribs. You realize that if you tried to roll over you’d fall off the bed. Guess Paps was right, you think idly. Speaking of the skeleton, his arm is underneath Chara, and you feel him holding your hand. The three of you fell asleep like this, with Chara wedged between you and snuggled up to your side. They must have rolled over sometime during the night to Papyrus instead.

A smile rises to your face as you see them wrapped up next to him. You’re glad Papyrus could help Chara, really, and it was adorable to watch them talking, but… It left you feeling cold, like your heart (would soul be more appropriate?) was empty. You know Papyrus was just trying to help, and that he cares about Chara too, but you felt like you failed your kid. You weren’t there.

You sigh. It’s fine. Just because you weren’t there, once, doesn’t mean you’re a failure, right?

Not quite believing yourself, you carefully roll out of bed. As you borrow Papyrus’ hoodie to ward off the cold, you hear a movement on the bed. Chara is rolling onto their back, letting out a low hum as they wake up. Just the sight of them brings a smile to your face. You lean over, running your fingers through their hair to coax them awake. “Hey squirt. Sleep well?” You whisper.

They blink up at you, nodding slowly. “I have to get up for school, right?” Chara mumbles.

A glance at your phone confirms it. “Good thing we’re both up, then. Come on, I’ll make you breakfast.”

Nodding and rubbing their eyes, Chara moves to get out of bed. Papyrus rolls over onto his chest with a sleepy grumble, burying his face in his pillow. Hesitating, you decide to leave him be. It’s his day off, and with him getting up in the middle of the night, you know he can use the extra sleep.

Besides, right now you really want to spend extra time with Chara.

But, it seems it’s just not meant to be. Sans is already awake, busy making breakfast. Even Alphys is up and dressed, sitting at the table bleary-eyed and drinking coffee. The two of them look at you as you walk into the kitchen; thankfully, Sans doesn’t seem to notice the way your shoulders sag.

“OH, GOOD MORNING! I THOUGHT CHARA WAS WITH YOU LAST NIGHT. I’M GLAD I WAS NOT MISTAKEN!”

“I hope this little rascal didn’t scare you, Sans,” You say, nudging Chara towards the table as you start to prepare yourself some coffee.

“NONE AT ALL! I, THE  _ SANSATIONAL  _ SANS, HAD NO DOUBTS THAT CHARA WAS JUST FINE.”

“Oh, so I must’ve been dreaming that you woke me up the second you got up, demanding to know if I knew where Chara was.” Alphys grumbles into her coffee, brown eye narrowing at the skeleton.

Sans turns his back to the kitchen, head held high even as nervous sweat beads on the side of his skull. “I-I SIMPLY WAS CONCERNED FOR THEIR WELL BEING,” He states with a small cough.

Breakfast is a little livelier than normal with the four of you sitting together at the table. Sans and Alphys command most of Chara’s attention, which is fine. It’d be nice to get a word in edgewise, but why start a fuss? Chara’s enjoying themselves, so you don’t want to ruin that. Instead, you focus on the pretty decent pancakes in front of you. Damn, at this rate Sans might actually surpass your cooking ability…

Chara has already run upstairs to change their clothes when you finish eating. As Sans leaves for the morning (he gives you a big hug before he heads out, which brings a smile to your face) you decide to go ahead and make Chara’s lunch. But when you open the fridge, you see there’s already a paper bag put together and waiting.

“Of course,” You mutter under your breath. “It would be, why am I not surprised?”

“Having trouble finding something?” Alphys says, draining the last dregs of her coffee and slamming the mug down on the table. The sound makes you flinch.

“Nah, just didn’t realize Chara’s lunch was made already.” You let out a chuckle and close the fridge. “I was thinking I’d surprise them with a favorite of theirs.”

“Oh. Sans made it this morning before you got up, like he usually does. You forget to tell him last night?” She asks, raising an eyebrow at you.

“Yeah, must’ve. Silly me.” She’s right, Sans normally does. You don’t know why it even matters, the skeleton has been trying to help out more and more for a while. Ever since he picked up a way of cooking that wasn’t ‘punch the food,’ at any rate.

The sound of feet running down the stairs signals Chara’s return to the kitchen. They make sure to act all calm as they walk up to you, still standing there in front of the fridge. Nudging you aside, they open the door and pluck out their lunch-box. Closing the door, they give you a quick hug, then turn to Alphys with a grin.

“Ready to go, panku?” She asks, pushing away from the table.

“Of course!” Chara looks over their shoulder and gives you a small wave. “Bye Dad!”

“Bye squirt. Love you!” You blurt out. You take a step forward, but they’re already headed for the door. Right. They already gave you a hug.

“Love you too,” They call back.

Alphys looks back at you as she takes hold of the door after Chara opens it. “See ya later,” She says.

You flash a grin, even as your chest grows cold.

* * *

You’re lying on the couch, music playing from your phone as you half-heartedly skim a book. The description of monster biology, or whatever their term for it is, includes such uplifting snippets such as ‘If a being with a powerful Soul struck a monster with the intent to kill, then all that would remain would be dust.’ You absently note how terrifying that would be, ultimately letting out a sigh as you continue skimming. You just can’t focus with this nagging feeling in your head.

Chara has known that you’re their father for a little over a month now, but what have you really been doing with that knowledge? Sans feeds them, both he and Alphys spend time playing with them, and even Papyrus is now trusted enough to go to for nightmares. You feel like a father in name only, with the rest of the house picking up your slack.

But it’s ridiculous to even think that way, when everyone else just wants to help. Which only makes you feel worse.

With a sigh you let the book slip out of your grasp and into the crook of your arm. As you twist and turn on the massive couch, you hear a door upstairs open. Glancing up, you watch as Papyrus stumbles out of his bedroom. He’s looking around frantically. “Paps?”

His gaze rests on you, and immediately the tension flows off him. “Hey hun,” He greets, walking down the stairs to join you. His smile seems a bit shaky, and the lines under his eye sockets seem more pronounced than normal.

You shift over a bit, letting him sit next to you. “You okay?”

He lays next to you, moving to shove his hands into his pockets, but he doesn’t have any. Instead he crosses his arms over his chest, glancing at the ceiling before turning to you. “’course, hun. just…” He sighs, taking a breath. You’re always amazed by the sound, given he has no lungs and all. “was just lookin’ forward to seeing your face when i woke up.”

“Ahuh,” You respond, a bit confused. From how shaken he seems though, you obviously messed up not waking him. Damn it. “I got up to see Chara off to school. And what with you waking up last night, I thought you might like to sleep in a bit.”

You hesitate a moment before reaching a hand out to him. Can’t you manage anything right today? Papyrus is quick to reach back, threading his fingers through yours and giving you a quick nuzzle on the cheek.

“i know. i just feel better seeing you, ya know?” You have barely a moment’s notice before suddenly being grabbed and placed on top of Papyrus. He lets out a chuckle, adding, “seeing every inch of you.”

You laugh, placing a quick kiss on his forehead. “I don’t mind a little fun, but you’re not getting off that easy.”

He lets out a sudden snort, and your mind quickly catches up with what you said. “No, wait, dammit not that way!” You sputter, heat rising to your cheeks. An orange tinge mirrors your own blush. “I _meant,_ are you really doing alright?”

Laughter fading away, he doesn’t quite look you in the eyes. “i’ll be alright. there’s the rest of the day to look forward to.”

You lay down on him, ear over his non-existent heart. Damnit, you did mess up. “I’m sorry,” You say, giving his hand a squeeze.

“don’t be. not your fault.” Hah. Right.

Papyrus isn’t much less withdrawn for the rest of the day, no real thanks to you. You do try to see if maybe he wants to go to Muffet’s for lunch, just to get the two of you out of the house, but he flashes that flattery card and says he’d rather have a nice home-cooked lunch from you. At least you can do something right. And you don’t feel up to pushing him, especially when he keeps deflecting your attempt to find out what left him so shaken. Maybe he’ll just tell you later. Yeah.

By the time Chara and Alphys return, you’re in a better mood. Yet you get barely a second to greet Chara with a hug before they’ve already placed their bag upstairs and ran out the door again with Alphys to go ‘train.’

Papyrus doesn’t seem to notice that there’s anything wrong. He’s absorbed in some book with a worn cover you can’t quite make out. You think it’s about mechanics or something. Suddenly agitated, you get up to start preparing dinner. It’s something to let you stop pretending everything is fine until you calm yourself down. He doesn’t say anything to you as you leave the room.

A small part of you wishes he’d follow, to check up on you and make sure you’re okay. It’s quickly silenced by what you’ve already accepted: everything is fine. You’re just being childish.

By the time you finish getting dinner prepped and simmering, Chara and Alphys are back. As you leave the kitchen, the lizard monster is on one end of the couch, propped against the armrest. She’s staring at her phone, typing a message. Her hands are shaking, and she appears to be mumbling to herself as she deletes it. Then, after another second, she starts typing again. She’s gotta be texting Undyne. At this rate, you’re going to just step in and tell them to just kiss already. You’re not sure you can handle this admittedly amusing situation anymore.

Papyrus and Chara are napping on the other end of the couch. Chara has Alphys’ pillow in the skeleton’s lap and is stretched out across the middle cushion. Their feet are resting against Alphys’ leg. You should be happy, you think, taking a picture almost automatically. They’re getting along so well, but you can’t help thinking about how little you’re actually needed here. Last night just opened your eyes to that fact. Chara had always,  _ always,  _ come to you when they had a nightmare, but… Papyrus took care of them instead. That was one of the few things that was explicitly yours, for as long as you can remember. Not even  _ he  _ could have taken that away from you.

You turn and go back to the kitchen, forcing a smile when Sans comes back into sight.

* * *

Papyrus seems to pick up on your mood while you’re all eating dinner. Once everyone finishes and leaves the kitchen – Sans and Chara head upstairs to play a game, and Alphys decides to take a shower – Papyrus stays behind to help you clean up. The silence between you is thick and uncomfortable for the first minute as you pass clean dishes for him to dry, and your attempts at small talk seem to fall flat to him.

“you know you can tell me if something’s wrong, right?” He finally interrupts you, observing you carefully as he puts away a glass in the cupboard next to you.

“Of course I do,” You respond instantly, internally cringing at how  _ fake  _ you sound. You do want to tell him, to just vent and let out your frustration and annoyances. That’s what… What couples do, right? Talk about things. Think things through. But right now, your voice is stuck in your throat, frozen by indecision and stubbornness. After all, Papyrus has been keeping  _ his  _ worries to himself, so what does it matter that you do too? It’ll blow over eventually.

But you still feel Papyrus’ gaze on you as the silence sits there accusingly.  _ “You’re the problem.” _ A memory of  _ his _ voice jumps to mind, irritating you further. Finally, as you scrub vigorously at the pot clutched tight in your hand, you just force yourself to say something. “I just feel like I’m doing a crap job. As Chara’s father,” You mutter. Fuck, that sounds so  _ stupid _ .

For a second Papyrus doesn’t say anything. He just looks at you, and he must think the same thing. “you do know that’s far from the truth, right?” He says slowly.

“Yeah, I do,” You say, shrugging. “But it’s… Everyone’s doing everything I  _ should _ be doing. Like, I can’t even do something as simple as spend some time with Chara. If they’re not upstairs with Sans then they’re out ‘training’ with Alphys. And that’s fine! Chara can do whatever, they’re happy, so it’s okay.”

“if you’re bothered by it, you can just think of something to do with them on your own. or even join in.” His voice sounds a little dismissive, as if that solves it. You can’t help but feel a prickle of agitation.

“Yeah. Exactly.” You respond, turning back to the dishes in front of you with a frown. “Like I said though, they’re happy. So that’s all that matters.”

“hun, you should happy too.” Papyrus says, and you feel a hand on your shoulder. You can’t help but tense up. He hesitates before continuing. “if you want some more time with chara, just ask us. we won’t mind.”

“I know that.” You shrug out of his grip, returning to the pot in your hands. “That’s not the point, Papyrus.”

“then what is?” He says, thrusting the dishtowel onto the counter and facing you completely.

_ “You couldn’t take care of yourself given the chance. How could anyone trust you with a child?”  _ You shake your head and scoff. “It doesn’t matter.” You mutter darkly.

“of course it does. talk to me.”

Dropping the pot in the sink, you turn around and glare at him. “Oh, like you talk to me? I’ve been asking you all day, hell, for weeks now what’s wrong, and you’ve blown me off every single time.”

“what?” He flinches back. “i’m not trying to hide anything, there’s just nothing important to say.”

“Why? Why isn’t there? Can’t you just tell me the truth? Why are you always hiding things?”

“i’m not hiding anything!” He snaps back, brow furrowing with frustration. “why are you making this into such a big deal? i’m just trying to help you.”

“And you’re doing a shit job. Why are you being such a fucking hypocrite?” You both freeze, your finger pointed right at his face. Fuck.

Papyrus’ frown twists into a glare. He shoves his fists into the pocket of his jacket, shaking his head and looking away from you. “whatever. you’re not listening, and i don’t need to deal with this. maybe take a second to calm the fuck down and stop accusing the person trying to help you out.”

“Pap, wait!” You cry out, but it’s too late. When you reach for him he blinks just out of your grasp and practically runs out the door. He yanks it open and slams it shut behind him, leaving you behind in shocked silence.

You fall back against the counter, a wet hand numbly slipping across the smooth surface as you lean back. You can only stare at where he was moments ago, playing everything back in your mind. All the anger, frustration it all just leaches out of you in seconds, leaving behind an empty numbness.

He’s gone.

You turn around, and start cleaning the dishes.

You don’t even realize you’re crying until droplets start falling into the sink.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp. That was a good-feels chapter, huh?
> 
> P.S. Chronicdelusionist got me almost literally rolling around laughing at this chapter pic. Almost.
> 
> P.P.S. Onadacora is the bestest ever.


	34. The Webs We Weave

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [ Onadacora's Original Fic ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/5053684/chapters/11621461) \--- [Chronicdelusionist's Comics](http://onadacora.tumblr.com/tagged/underswap-wtmyh/chrono) \--- [My Tumblr](http://darrelodin.tumblr.com/)

Tossing a cigarette into the snow, Papyrus is still fuming when he enters Muffet’s. It must be written all over his face because when Dogaressa goes to greet him Dogamy pulls her back and shakes his head. Lesser Dog gives a low, resonating whine and his ears droop. Papyrus plants himself onto his normal barstool, waiting for Muffet. He caught sight of the spider monster ducking into the back as he came in, probably to get something for one of the other patrons.

Rubbing his face, he flinches at the tears pooling near his eye sockets. He hates how much that hurt, how everything just spiralled out of control. You’ve been acting odd since last night, and he doesn’t know why you suddenly got so angry at him. If you’d just take a second to _talk_ to him...

“Well hello there, dearie.” Looking up, Papyrus sees Muffet sweetly smiling down at him, two hands writing something onto a notepad as spiders scurry about. She seems to listen to one near her head before focusing on him. “Where’s your other half lying about?”

“not here, muffet,” Papyrus says. “’s only little old me. i could really use the usual.”

Muffet’s many eyes narrow, but within moments a short tumbler with dark purple liquid is being placed in front of him by some spiders. Papyrus takes it with a grateful nod toward the workers before taking a deep swig. He quickly frowns at the lack of bite in the drink and glares at his friend. “what gives, muffet?”

She glares back. “I haven’t seen you all alone in here for over a month, Papyrus.”

“so?”

“I can put two and two together, my friend.”

Papyrus ignores how decidedly _un_ friendly she sounds, fiddling with the glass instead as he considers how to respond. Muffet waits patiently, cleaning plates and glasses as she watches him.

“it’s just something that’ll blow over.” He forces a grin and an exaggerated wink. “like sans’ last puzzle tower. i ever tell you how that-”

She’s quick to interrupt him. “You walked in here crying. Talk.”

Papyrus shoots a weak glare at the spider resting on her shoulder. It scurries away.

“look, we got into a fight,” Papyrus admits, meeting Muffet’s gaze. He rubs his forehead and sighs. “i just don’t get why he snapped at me.”

Her gaze seems to lose some of its severity. “Walk me through it, dearie.”

Well, she’s certainly right there. Leaning against the counter, head rested in the palm of his hand, Papyrus says, “he seemed down, so i talked to him after dinner. he was worried about how he ‘wasn’t doing enough for chara,’ that everyone else in the house was doing his job. which is dumb!” He throws his other hand up for emphasis. “everyone just loves the kid. if he felt that way, all he needed to do was ask.”

Her smile turns frosty again. “Is that what you told him?”

“yes, but more tactful than that. come on muffet, give me a little credit here.” She squints at him, and Papyrus just _knows_ the spiders working nearby are laughing. “whatever. he just kinda accepted my suggestions and... shut down.”

Placing her pencil and notepad in her waist pocket, Muffet leans down onto the counter. “Go on, dearie. What then?” She asks, indifferently taking a sip from his drink.

Papyrus lets her, sprawling out onto the counter. “something was still up, so i pushed a little more. but instead of talkin’, he yelled at me, saying i was being a hypocrite. i just don’t get how i suddenly became the problem when he’s the one keeping stuff from me.”

“Well, that begs the question – Are you hiding things from _him_?” She responds, placing his glass back down.

Papyrus pulls himself back up, a little uncomfortable with the way Muffet is looking him. He can’t quite bring himself to answer.

At his silence Muffet stands back up, a decidedly unimpressed look on her face. “You know, dearie, I was shocked the first time I saw you smoking. What was it, two months ago? I’d never seen a pack anywhere near you, yet you burned through four in an hour.” All of her eyes narrow down at him. “Like you’d been doing it for years.”

“No, no need prattle about it to me. I’m sure you have your reasons.” She interrupts him before he can speak. “But if I can notice something like that, maybe think about what your boyfriend sees, hmm?”

With that, Muffet turns to stack the pile of plates carried over by her spiders. An uneasy feeling fills Papyrus. He absently nudges his drink with his fingers, reflecting on his friend’s words. Why did it matter that he had seemingly developed a habit overnight? People do it all the time. It doesn’t even have a thing to do with you. How you just exploded over… Over...

 _Oh._ “i am such a complete _idiot_ ,” He groans.

Muffet turns back to Papyrus. Her smile screams ‘welcome to my parlor.’ Or ‘congratulations, stupid.’ The both look the same to him.

Papyrus drops to the side, resting on the next bar stool in defeat. “he’s been worried about me, but gave me space. and the second he just needed someone to vent to i…ugh.” He sighs. “we both just want to help each other.”

Looking up, he sees Muffet point upwards, a smug look on her face. Following her fingers, he sees a web with a message embedded into it. _Go home and fix it, idiot._

“yeah, i know. i just need a minute to figure out how the hell i’m gonna apologize,” He mutters.

* * *

You’re in love with Papyrus.

At any other time, you’d be worried. And happy. And astounded. Amazed. Confused, even. But right now, it’s just… You know now. You’ve only felt this _hurt_ once before, what feels like lifetimes ago. You know how it’s gonna go. He’s going to come back after this screw up, but only because he lives here and he’ll be nice and calm but you’ll both _know._

It’s all your fault. You shouldn’t have said a single word. It was fine, you should’ve just sucked it up and stopped being a brat and-

“Shit!” A sharp pain spikes in your hand, and you can see red pooling in the sink as you drop the knife you were washing. Great. You can’t even do something as simple as wash the fucking dishes. Grabbing the paper towels and hissing in pain, you try to cover the cut. That’s a lot of blood for such a shallow cut.

The tears are falling again, harder from the unexpected pain and crushing sense of failure. Something this simple, just washing some dishes, and you can’t even do that. _Pathetic_.

“…what? No, I am one-thousand percent sure that scene was in episode-”

You jump as Alphys walks into the kitchen, talking on her cellphone. She’s changed into her pajamas – shorts with little anime faces on them and a yellow tank top – and has a nail file in one hand. As you make eye contact she stops dead in her tracks. “Undyne, I have to go. I’ll call you later,” She says, hanging up the call.

“H-hey there, Alphys,” You say, though it comes out a jumbled mess. It’s too late to try and hide anything. She’s already rushing over, fiddling with her phone. You want to tell her not to worry, but you don’t think you could stop her.

“Come on, which one was it,” She mutters, before making a triumphant noise and grabbing your arm. “Just try and take some deep breaths,” She says, clicking something. Within moments, a green light covers your hand. There’s a feeling of warmth and you swear you smell the faint scent of ramen, but then the phone is being put away and your hand doesn’t hurt. Pulling away the napkin, you see your skin unbroken, just some blood left staining your palm. You try to smile and thank Alphys, but you can’t manage any words. Your vision is still blurry.

She places a hand on your arm. “Just relax, nerd. Mind telling me what happened?”

No. Yes. Fuck. You shake your head, your throat feeling tight as more tears make your vision swim. Everything’s falling apart, and it’s all your fault. You start to cry, face screwing up as you cover your face.

“Okay nerd, let it out. Just let it all out,” She says. You’re shaking and you can’t see through your tears, but you feel Alphys’ hand grip your arms and pull you over to the kitchen chairs. “Where’s Papyrus? _He_ didn’t make you cry, did he?”

You can’t even answer, fists tightening so much it hurts. You’re starting to have trouble breathing. You gasp in air between sobs. Alphys gently rubs your back, murmuring softly to you. Through your blurred eyes you see she’s pulled over another chair, putting her at eye-level. It’s…Comforting. After far, far too long, you start to get a hold of yourself.

Rubbing at your eyes to try and clear them and rubbing your nose with your sleeve ( _Disgusting,_ you can’t help but hear in the back of your head) you meet Alphys’ steady gaze. “I-I’m sorry,” You mumble, hiccuping.

She ignores your apology, brow furrowing. “Just talk to me. One step at a time.”

“You shouldn’t h-have to-”

She interrupts you, squinting at your face. “Punk. As your friend, I don’t _have_ to do anything. I came in here and found you bleeding and crying. I want to help you.”

You don’t have the energy to argue, so you let her. You tell her as best you can how you got a little worried over Chara, but then worried about Papyrus and wanted to help him. But he waved you off, and when you opened up to him, he seemingly dismissed your concerns over Chara with a couple of suggestions _that you already understood._ She listens as you tell her about how you snapped at his ‘help,’ and how he finally ran out of the house, leaving you alone. Numb. Her frown deepens, but she doesn’t interrupt.

“Alphys, you’ve known him longer than me, did I fuck it up?” You ask, rubbing your face. Your nose is running profusely, but you don’t even care anymore. “I should’ve just let him help and left him alone on it, I know, but-”

Alphys shakes her head, grimacing. “Look, I’m…Pretty crap at this kinda stuff. But first, before I tell you what I think, stop blaming yourself, okay? Two-way street here and all. Got it?”

You nod, and she flashes a soft smile at you.

“You had one fight. That shit happens. If ONE argument is all it takes for him to go, he was never worth keeping.” She seems to hesitate, then sighs as some of the tension leaves her face. “He’s not gonna go. The entire time I’ve known Papyrus he hasn’t let anyone else in other than Sans. He talks, sure, but he’s said nothing, really. Until _you_ came along. That’s huge. That matters.”

You manage to swallow and smile at her, but when you open your mouth to thank her, she raises her hand.

“Not yet, nerd,” She snaps, letting her hand fall. She levels her best glare at you. “Don’t go bottling everything up like that sack of bones boyfriend of yours, got it? If you feel left out or something, let us know! You’re just as important as Chara to us.”

“I- You guys shouldn’t have to deal with my shit, that’s all,” You say, not quite meeting Alphys’ eye.

She sighs. “You are such a nerd. Listen, it’s not ‘dealing’ with anything.” She looks a little hesitant, then chuckles. “And you weren’t afraid to stand up to me before. What’s so different now?”

You look away, biting your lip. “Well, we’re friends. I didn’t want to screw that up.”

Her smile softens. “I get where you’re coming from, but thinking that way ain’t gonna help anyone, nerd. It’s because we’re friends that you should be able to tell me when I’m ticking you off!”

“Oh,” You mumble. You glance back at her, a smile rising to your face. “Friends are honest, huh? Does that mean you’re gonna tell Undyne about your crush on her?”

“SHUT UP!” She says, her cheeks reddening. She’s quick to join in your laughter though, and once you recover she asks, “That help you a bit?”

“Yeah. Thanks Alphys,” You say, flashing a smile. “I’m still good for playing wingman, though.”

Alphys opens her mouth to shout again, but the sound of the door opening interrupts her. Surprised, you almost fall from your chair. Shit, you’re still a goddamn mess. Alphys turns towards the living room just as Papyrus shuts the door behind him. You see he looks downcast as Alphys approaches him.

“You coward! After all the bull you put him through, you just left? What were you thinking, huh?!” Alphys shouts at him.

“Alphys, come on, stop.” You protest, following her out into the living room.

She’s glaring at Papyrus, cornering him by the door. He shoves his hands in his pockets and glances at you, and you see his eye sockets sag a little. He takes a deep breath.

“i know, but i’m back now and if you could just-”

You hear the sound of a door opening upstairs. With a quick glance you catch sight of Sans and Chara looking down into the living room. Fuuuuck.

“I ought to kick your ass!” Alphys snaps, her arms tensing as she balls her hands into fists. The muscles seem to pop under her scales.

“alphys, you can do all you want later, but i am _not_ in the mood to play your little game,” Papyrus says, hunching his shoulders and narrowing his eye sockets.

“Alphys!” You say again, trying to get her to listen. You reach and grab Alphys’ arm and she glances back up at you. “Let him talk.” Something about the sight of you seems to encourage her instead of calm her down, however. She flashes her pointed teeth at Papyrus.

“YOU should have been the one here to fix what you did, coward!” Alphys jerks her head in your direction.

“and i will. stop shouting at me,” Papyrus bites out, his own voice getting louder.

“Then stop giving me reasons to shout! Don’t you realize what you did?!” She takes another step forward, jabbing her finger at his chest.

“i didn’t try to hurt him on purpose!” He yells back, yanking his hands out of his pocket, fists clenched at his sides as he looms over her. “i _love_ him!”

The room falls into stunned silence, and you feel like someone just knocked the wind out of you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh man, the reveal that no one saw coming. /sarcasm
> 
> Gotta say Muffet was a blast to write here. Can you guess my favorite line?
> 
> Thanks as always to Chronicdelusionist for their awesome suggestions and art!


	35. A Quiet Moment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [ Onadacora's Original Fic ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/5053684/chapters/11621461) \--- [Chronicdelusionist's Comics](http://onadacora.tumblr.com/tagged/underswap-wtmyh/chrono) \--- [My Tumblr](http://darrelodin.tumblr.com/)

“Dad? What’s going on?”

Chara’s voice pulls you back to your senses, breaking the shocked silence that fills the room. Alphys looks up at you and then over at Papyrus, hands covering her snout. He’s cursing to himself, turning towards the wall and pulling his hoodie up to hide his head. Did he just…?

“Could you repeat that?” You ask, letting go of Alphys’ shoulder and taking a step closer to him.

Alphys turns on her heel and starts marching for the stairs. Her voice comes out all muffled behind her hands. “OKAY squirt, your dad and Papyrus need some privacy, so let’s all leave ‘em be, okay?!”

“alphys, slow down, you can stay here,” Papyrus blurts out, and you can see the orange starting to creep across his face. He closes the gap between the two of you, and as your eyes meet you feel unsure again. Was that really what he thought? Or did he just blurt it out to catch Alphys off-guard? “will you come back to our room and talk, please?” He asks you gently, reaching out to take your hand. You take it, a warm feeling spreading through your chest. ‘Our room.’ God, you’ve got it bad.

“Dad?” Chara asks again, worry plain in their voice.

You and Papyrus search each other’s faces for a brief moment before he releases your hand. 

“Yeah,” You say, “Let me talk to Chara, and I’ll meet you there, okay?”

He looks relieved, a tiny smile flashing on his face before his expression relaxes. “of course.”

You approach Alphys on your way to the stairs. You’re nervous, and a sense of dread still fills you at the thought of this coming talk with Papyrus, but you know for a fact that Alphys helped you. Drained from crying and still a little numb from the emotional roller coaster of the last hour, you still hesitate before settling to give her arm a squeeze.

“Thanks for being there for me,” You tell her. Huh, her scales feel really cool to the touch.

“Oh, you big nerd, come here,” She says. You’re suddenly pulled into a tight hug, letting out a surprised laugh when her arms wrap around your middle. It quickly turns into a yelp of shock when she bends back and lifts you off your feet. Flailing your arms wildly while Alphys laughs, you’re plopped back onto your feet. You stumble, though Alphys is quick to steady you with a firm grip. She catches your attention, looking you right in the eye as she leans forward. “It’ll be okay. Just don’t let him off easy, got it?”

You smile sheepishly, not quite able to meet her gaze when you respond. “Heh, you know it.” All this sudden affection has you feeling a little embarrassed.

You wince as she gives you a firm smack on the shoulder. “Now don’t leave the squirt hanging!”

As you climb the stairs – rubbing your sore arm – you see Papyrus standing next to his, no,  _ your  _ room. He must have teleported up there while Alphys had your attention. Chara is standing with Sans, staring up at the wide, concerned eyes.

“What did Papyrus do? Did he do something bad?” Chara asks, hesitantly reaching out for the bottom of your shirt. Their face scrunches up as they look up at you. “You look like you were crying. Did he make you cry?”

You kneel down, pulling Chara against you and stroking their back as their arms go around your stomach, hugging you. “Don’t worry about it, kiddo. We were arguing, but everything is gonna be fine. Papyrus and I just need to talk. It’s… It’ll probably take a while, though, so I might not be able to say goodnight later.”

“You’re not hiding adult things from me just to make me go away, are you?” They ask, squeezing you tighter and grumbling into your stomach. “I can help!”

“You can help by not worrying, squirt. Everything is gonna be fine,” You tell them, and when you look back over at Papyrus down the hall you can see he is watching you. He’s fidgeting a little, and he seems nervous. Heh, that makes two of you.

“Do you promise?”

“I promise.”

“Good… I like it here.”

“Me too, squirt. Me too.”

When Chara finally lets you go, you and Sans look at each other. There’s a moment where you wonder if he’s going to say something to you, and you mentally prepare yourself for his eye sockets to go dark like that morning he warned you about hurting Papyrus. But his eyes remain lit, and the short skeleton instead claps his hands on Chara’s shoulders. As he asks them if they would like to return to the game that Alphys’ shouts interrupted, you realize he’s willingly serving as a distraction. You give him a silent ‘thank you’ and he winks in return before ushering Chara back into the bedroom.

Alone in the hallway, you look at Papyrus. He quickly looks away, opening the bedroom door and walking inside. You feel jittery, unable to stop the feeling of worry growing in your chest. What if he really didn’t mean what he said? What would that mean for you? For Chara? You hesitate a moment longer before following him in. Putting this off won’t help anyone.

Papyrus is standing in the middle of the bedroom, waiting when you shut the door behind you. “i’m sorry,” He blurts out, and he moves towards you as you rush towards him and you wrap each other up in your arms. The scent of tobacco smoke fills your nostrils.

“Yeah, I-I’m sorry too. You were just trying to help,” You say, burying your fingers in the back of his jacket as you tuck your head against his. Fuck, you thought you were out of tears, but apparently your body still has some in reserve.

“no, you were right. i wasn’t paying attention to you and should have you given you space. especially when you always do that for me,” He tells you, resting his head on your shoulder.

“But I know you were just trying to help me.” You pull back a little, to face him. “And it really wasn’t a big deal, I should’ve spoken up.”

“but you also were right,” He says firmly. He tilts his head down, smooth bone brushing your face. “how can you talk to me if i won’t talk to you? it’s my fault i’m a numbskull, not yours.” You fall against his shoulder again, letting out a groan even as you smile at the pun. “i’ll talk with alphys and sans too. we’ll figure something out with chara. you should be happy too, hun.”

“I already talked with Alphys about it earlier,” You say, sniffling. “Listen, I…” You take a deep breath and push yourself back again, even as your grip tightens on Papyrus. “Just, don’t do that to me again. Please, I… I can’t handle being left like that.”

“i’m sorry,” He says, rubbing small circles between your shoulders. You lean your weight on him, letting him hold you up as you try to regain your composure.

“Be mad at me, tell me what I did wrong, but  _ please  _ don’t just walk away.”

“whatever you need. i’ll do whatever helps.”

“I’m sorry I snapped at you,” You say again, because what else  _ can  _ you say?

“don’t be. i screwed up.”

“Fine, we both did,” You concede, sniffing and lifting your head enough so you can try to dry your face on your sleeve. “... Well, big fight number one down. We survived.”

Papyrus pulls away enough so that he can look at you, and the smile plastered on your face fades as you feel his eyes study you. He looks despondent. “wouldn’t have had one if i didn’t have a stick shoved so far up my pelvis,” He says, voice low, and the frustration you hear is directed at himself.

“Paps…” You murmur, reaching up to wipe at the tears forming in his eye sockets. His smile seems shaky. “Come here, you big bag of bones.”

He’s quick to take you up on your offer, hugging you tightly. You think Papyrus is shaking, and you swear you can feel a heartbeat from his chest, but that’s impossible. Maybe it’s his Soul? Now’s not really the time to ask.

A few moments later, Papyrus pulls back, releasing you and clearing his throat. He’s hesitating as he looks down at you. Despite the mess you must be, he seems to gain some confidence in looking at you. “Are we okay?” He asks quietly.

Taking his hand, you bring him over to the bed and sit him down next to you. He’s honestly worried that you would still be mad? You solemnly wipe your nose on your sleeve, holding back your cringing, before pulling his head down. You nuzzle your cheek against his, showing affection in the simple way he does for you. When he’s got his  _ magic  _ tongue out, traditional kissing is easy enough, but without it ‘normal’ kissing just doesn’t work. You just want to show him you love him… And you can’t help but sneak a lick on his jaw. You chuckle at the shivers you get in response. “’Course we are, Paps.”

“good. i’m… that makes me happy,” He says, pulling back slightly. The hand in his lap rises to your face and rubs a thumb along your cheekbone. The familiar warmth of his bones is soothing. “you know, i really meant what i said. earlier.”

You can only stare as you wait for him to say more. Suddenly all of your fear and hope rises in your chest, leaving your insides a mix of hot and cold. Looking away to break eye contact, a hint of orange stains his face. “No joke?” You ask, your voice cracking. Oh God, you’re acting like some love-struck teenager.

His gaze flicks back to your face, seemingly surprised. “of course not. i… well, i never wanted to say somethin’ like that for the the first time because alphys riled me up, but… yeah.”

Your mouth twitches into an attempt at a smile. But you still feel such a mess. Even though you trust Papyrus, it’s so hard for you to believe him. How can he be sure? You were sure, once, and  _ that  _ was an error in judgement. “But… How?” You ask, searching his face.

“how can i…?” A small frown creases his brow and his hands reach up to cup your face. You can’t help but lean into his touch. “how can i  _ not _ ?”

You feel your lips wobbling as you meet his eyes. His arms are tight around you, one hand stroking your back. He clears his throat. “unless, you, uh, don’t exactly…”

“I do!” You blurt out, pulling your arms tightly against him as well. “I, I do, Paps. I just… It seems so good, too good to be true. You said before were scared, right? Of letting yourself be happy. I…” Your voice falters, and  _ damn it  _ you are  _ not  _ going to cry now. He hugs you as you murmur, “I want to believe you. It’d be wonderful. But I’m terrified.”

“you told me not to be scared. but you also told me i’m not alone. and you aren’t either.”

“I know, it’s just…” Squeezing your eyes shut, you draw a shaky breath. “The last time I thought I was in love she left me. I thought I finally had someone who cared about me, you know? Who would be there for me just like I would be there for her. But instead I just fucked everything…” You let out a sob, resting your head on Papyrus’ chest. So much for not crying. He doesn’t speak, continuing to gently rub your back. You take another breath. “I understand why she left. Chara and I cost her too much, were holding her back.”

Papyrus eases you away from him, cupping your head in his hands and tilting you up to look at him. There’s so much tenderness in his expression that it makes your chest ache. “i love you,” He says, with so much sincerity you almost believe him. “and i would pay any cost for you.  you are priceless to me. the both of you.”

Your eyes well up with tears again, and you can’t help the embarrassed laugh that escapes you. “Priceless, huh? Damn it Paps, you’re making me cry again,” You mumble, looking away and blinking to try and clear your vision.

“happy tears are a-okay in my book. means i’m doin’ something right,” He says, leaning down to nuzzle your forehead. “but… i don’t think you’re completely convinced.”

He’s right. You despise yourself, that you can’t tell him you love him, because you  _ do _ , but the admission catches in your throat at the thought of vocalizing it. The little voice nagging you in the back of your mind, warning you that saying those words will land you in a world of heartbreak… They cling tight and refuse to let go.

“i… i could show you, if you’ll let me. without a shadow of a doubt,” He says. Papyrus removes a hand from your cheek to press over your chest. A tingling, warm feeling spreads under your skin.

It takes you a moment but you remember this feeling. You felt it when he coaxed your Soul from your chest before. How is your Soul going to prove anything? You do trust Papyrus, though… “It won’t hurt, right?” You ask.

Shaking his head, Papyrus pulls his hands away from you and the tingling stops. Shuffles around on the bed, sitting cross-legged beside you. Curious, you shift to sit directly in front of him, knees touching. You can’t help but ask, “So how is this going to help?” Your Soul is the very culmination of your being, but that’s a pretty vague statement. Is it like a checklist? Does it have a switch for ‘being scared’ that can just be flicked off?

As Papyrus holds his hands out in front of him, you start to feel that warm, fuzzy feeling again. “i’m going to touch your soul. i’m almost positive it’ll give you a pretty good idea of how i feel.” Before you can think of anything to say, he crooks his fingers and pulls his arms back towards his body.

Your wine-bottle colored Soul lifts away from your chest and fills the space between you with a rich green glow. You aren’t fazed by the sight of it this time, accepting the fractures radiating from the center, but… “Woah,” You breathe, reaching up to try and cup your Soul in your hands, forgetting for a moment that it won’t work. You’re so surprised, however, because the fractures seem a little narrower, and you can almost swear that some of the smaller cracks look healed. Something like scars have mended them.

“wowie… that’s pretty great.” Papyrus admits, staring. He looks over your Soul to catch your eye, and when you look back at him he’s smiling. “your soul started healing.”

“It can do that?” You stare at your Soul in awe. It’s too much to hope it’s real.

Papyrus chuckles. “guess so. heh, all you needed was a little magic in your life.”

“I prefer the term ‘magic bullshit,’ thank you very much.”

Your chest warms a little as he laughs. “and here i thought you’d embrace our illogical logic.” Still grinning, looking more like his normal self, he returns his attention to your Soul. He raises his hands and as he inches closer towards it sweat starts to bead at his temples. “now, what i wanted to show you is, uh, probably a little intense.”

“How intense is a lit-” The rest of your sentence dies on your lips the second his hands reach out and grasp your Soul, your arms reaching forward to grab his legs. You can  _ feel  _ Papyrus, and you’re aware of the fact that he can feel you too. His magic hums through his bones, warmth spreading through him and through you, wrapping around you and making you feel safe. Loved. Cherished and amazed and just overwhelmed. Your eyes slide shut as your senses blur out of focus because everything is overlapping, like you’re seeing through two sets of eyes and it’s making you dizzy. You choose to focus on the love you’re feeling instead, like being wrapped up in Papyrus’ arms.

The more you pull the safeness around you, the more you start to feel. Passion and affection and wanting. All the cold is gone, replaced by a burning warmth and love that fills you up until you think you might burst. You might be crying, or Papyrus is? You can’t tell, have no way of knowing as everything smudges together and right now you don’t care. It’s so overwhelming but so  _ good _ and you feel yourself drawn deeper under the surface.

But as you slip further under the waves of happiness and love, you begin to feel sobered. An uncomfortable buzz of static prickles through you, making you feel uneasy. You feel the very air you’re breathing thin out, leaving fear and sadness and worry.

Then, all at once, it’s gone. You snap back to yourself and you feel wetness on your cheeks and the dull ache in your head from all the tears you’ve shed today. Your eyes open in time to see your Soul slip back inside you, and when you look up at Papyrus he’s shaking, trembling above you.

He takes a shuddering breath. “i’m sorry, i… fuck, that isn’t what i wanted to show you. too deep, i didn’t expect that.”

“Didn’t expect what?” You mumble. You want to know what’s left him so spooked, but it’s hard to think. All the love that swallowed you up, pouring out of him and rising out of you, is so distracting.

“i… i can’t, hun, it’s-” Before he can say anything else, you’re pulling him down on top of you, wrapping your arms around him. He melts under your touch as you press kisses along the side of his face and down his jaw. “i want you to be happy. i love you,” He breathes. “i love you so much.”

“I love you too, Papyrus,” You finally answer, and you’re smiling so wide you can’t even stop to kiss him anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, chapter 35, huh? At this rate, we'll be done with arc one around the time I asked Ona about writing this fanfic of a fanfic. I hope you've all enjoyed the journey so far!
> 
> A massive thanks as always to chronicdelusionist for their help and support with this story.
> 
> P.S. Onadacora is incredible and is the sweetest!


	36. Wingman Woes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [ Onadacora's Original Fic ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/5053684/chapters/11621461) \--- [Chronicdelusionist's Comics](http://onadacora.tumblr.com/tagged/underswap-wtmyh/chrono) \--- [My Tumblr](http://darrelodin.tumblr.com/)

When Papyrus wakes up in the morning he’s exhausted, despite the uninterrupted night of sleep. _Bone-tired_ , as Sans might say. He needs to remember that one for his bro.

Actually touching your Soul had been more overwhelming than he could have ever imagined. He’d considered how it would feel, tried to plan for it, but with the mess yesterday turned out to be, none of that mattered. All your love and fear swallowed him up and he could barely keep himself afloat. You got to him, overpowered him just by being human, by being you. You leave him so vulnerable, and if it was anyone else, he’d be terrified. He’s still scared. But, you’ve told him over and over that your Soul was his, and now you know that his is yours too. He wants to bare his Soul completely open to you, since that’s all you ask. It’s such a little thing. But he couldn’t let you know all his problems, or all about the things that happened well before you fell down. You don’t need to deal with that, not after the stress he’d put you through yesterday.

Yeah, that touching experience (Oh no, another pun? Terrible.) left him drained. But you’d been grabbing at him, and he had been quick to latch on to you as well. He’d urged himself forward until the both of you collapsed together in an exhausted tangle of legs and blankets and fell asleep with mumbled ‘I love you’s’ on your lips. An echo of your lovemaking still resonates in his bones, a struck chord that hums under the natural tone of his magic. Yesterday was a mess but…What the hell. Everything turned out for the best, even with his exhaustion.

Heh, maybe he’d actually take a nap during his nap break.

Papyrus feels you begin to stir, shifting your arms to pull him close to you. Your hand trailing his pelvis elicits a weak groan. You give a sleepy chuckle in response, peering up at him. Your smile quickly turns wolfish as you grip his pelvis, pulling out a much less dignified noise from his mouth. He retaliates by letting his hand shift down to give your ass a squeeze.

“Copping a feel, hmm?” You mumble, chuckling. “Guess I still got it.”

“hun, i wanna feel all the stuff you’re packing down here,” He says, grinning at the blush rising to your face. “you feeling good?”

“Oh, nice and sore,” You say.

Trailing kisses along his clavicle, you pull yourself up slightly to properly straddle Papyrus. Your fingers slip between his ribs, feather-light touches skimming his bones. He gasps as your touch sends a shudder through him, tightening his hold on you without thinking. “you rock my world, but i don’t think we want sans getting a front row seat to it. he’s gonna come knockin’ on that door any second,” He says, his voice sounding feeble even to himself.

You let out a resigned sigh and let him go, rolling away onto your back.

“hey,” He says, propping himself up on an elbow to look down on you.  “lemme take you out tonight. got something i think you’ll like to see.” He winks at you. “what do ya say? it’ll only cost you a date at muffet’s.”

You sigh more theatrically, turning away from him. “That price is too high for me.”

Papyrus chuckles. “oh? even with the promise of unearthing ancient history?”

You fumble around on the bed and strike your ‘seductive pose,’ as you call it. “I’m listening.” _And_ the ‘sexy voice’ too? He has to resist the urge to roll over and have some fun. “Tell me more about this ‘unearthing’ we’re doing.”

“well, these old bones won’t uncover themselves.”

Your laughter warms his Soul.

* * *

Papyrus looks a lot more tired than usual, and when you mention it he says it’s because of last night. From touching your Soul. Nothing you’ve read would explain why that’s the case, other than him being a monster. Maybe it doesn’t drain humans at all, because you feel fantastic. You must look concerned, because he reassures you that he’s alright.

Sans and Alphys are talking (loudly, as always) in the kitchen when you and Papyrus make your way downstairs. With the air of royalty, Chara is sipping at a glass of water, eyes ping-ponging back and forth between them as Sans paces and Alphys slouches in her chair across from the six-year-old.

“ALPHYS, AS YOUR FRIEND, I INSIST! YOUR CONTINUED _BONEDOGGLING_ IS LEAVING THE TWO OF YOU STRESSED!” The short skeleton says, crossing his arms as he continues walking.

Grimacing, the lizard monster takes a loud sip of her coffee. “You know what else is stressing me out? You, you bag of bones!”

“FIRSTLY, I AM OLDER THAN YOU, AND THUSLY I AM THE WISEST BAG OF BONES HERE. SECONDLY, YOU ARE BEING QUITE – OH!” Sans turns on his heel and catches sight of you and Papyrus, his expression transforming from disapproving frown into a bright smile. “GOOD MORNING! I…” He hesitates, and you notice the lights in his eyes are smaller than normal as he glances between the two of you. “I HOPE EVERYTHING IS OKAY?”

You make eye contact with Papyrus and then smile down at the shorter skeleton. “Yeah, everything’s great, Sans. Just needed to unpack some things.”

“THAT’S _SANSATIONAL!_ ALTHOUGH I DO HOPE YOU PUT EVERYTHING BACK AFTERWARDS,” He exclaims, shifting out of Papyrus’ way as his brother heads for the cabinet he’s standing in front of. You chuckle to yourself at his response, taking the kettle off the stove and filling it with more water from the sink.

“’course, bro. we wouldn’t want to leave a mess.” Papyrus says, opening the cabinet. He reaches up, grabbing two mugs. You suppose he must be tired if he’s not even using magic for something like that.

Sans must think so too, as he narrows his eyes at his brother. “I HOPE IT’S NOT A _STRETCH_ TO THINK YOU’RE FINALLY LISTENING TO ME ABOUT WASTING MAGIC?”

“maybe. or maybe i’m saving it all for some great prank later tonight,” Papyrus answers with wink. He glances over at you as you sidle up beside him, grabbing the two mugs out of his hands. “hun?”

“Grab some breakfast, Paps. You’ve got work soon, and I can fix something up after you’ve all left.” He leans down and nuzzles you – the pair of you ignoring the happy noises escaping Alphys – before nodding and heading toward the open seat next to Chara. You notice Chara flash him a big grin and it warms your heart.

“AS I WAS SAYING, ALPHYS, YOU ARE BEING QUITE THE WORRYWART. WHERE’S THE PASSION? THE WARRIOR WHO CHARGES FIRST AND _AXE_ QUESTIONS LATER?” Sans says, plunking down a bowl of oatmeal in front of his brother. You glance over at the skeleton and then at Alphys as you stir the instant coffee. “YOU SHOULD TALK TO UNDYNE.”

Coffee ready, you walk over, reaching over Papyrus’ shoulder to set his mug down in front of him. He twists around and nuzzles against your cheek. You grin, kissing him back. Chara sticks their tongue out at you, but quickly accepts their own good morning kiss. Leaning against the wall, you continue watching Sans grill Alphys.

“I talk to Undyne all the time!” She retorts, staring down into her mug.

“BUT YOU AREN’T SAYING THE RIGHT THINGS!” He says, shaking his head. “IT’S JUST LIKE A GOOD JOKE! YOU HAVE TO SURPRISE HER INTO LAUGHING!”

“Yeah, all it’ll take is me _axing_ the right questions, huh?” She says glaring. After a moment, she lets out a frustrated noise. “That’s dumb! What if I’m the joke? What if I tell her and she ends up laughing at me, huh? That’s even WORSE than not knowing!”

Oh God, is she for real? She is literally right out of an anime with this. “Earth to Alphys, Undyne is _totally_ crushing on you. If she could speak around you at all, I bet she’d be saying lines like, ‘Carry me away, my warrior princess.’” You say between sips. Chara makes a face at you, and Papyrus’ body shakes with laughter.

Alphys’ face scrunches up and an absolutely _massive_ blush rises to the scales on her cheeks. She’s totally imagining Undyne saying that now. Even Chara can’t help but laugh at her now.

“EXACTLY! SEE, EVEN THE LARGE HUMAN KNOWS HOW THIS WORKS! LARGE HUMAN, TALK SOME SENSE INTO MY FORLORN FRIEND HERE WHILE MY BROTHER AND I ARE GONE,” Sans says. You give an obedient nod, sipping at your coffee. Even the normally unfavorable taste is not so bad today. The skeleton taps his foot, glancing at the clock over the stove. “OH! CHARA, WE NEED TO LEAVE SOON – YOU TOO, PAPYRUS – SO YOU SHOULD GO GRAB YOUR BAG! _SNOW_ WAY WE’RE GONNA BE LATE!”

The loud sound of Alphys clearing her throat fills the kitchen, and as you look at her you see her giving Sans a stern look. Looking confused, Chara freezes in place, having already slid out of their chair.

Sans hesitates, just as perplexed, until his eye-lights contract. “RIGHT! LARGE HUMAN!” He turns to you, gesturing. “IF IT’S _COOL_ WITH YOU, WE SHALL TAKE CHARA TO SCHOOL.”

You hold back a laugh, realizing what’s going on. “Of course it’s cool with me.”

“ _SANSATIONAL!_ NOW CHARA, WE WILL WAIT FOR YOU HERE!”

Moving into the now vacant seat next to Papyrus, you catch Alphys’ eye. She gives you a toothy smile and a forceful blink. Oh! She’s winking. You nod your head, smiling back at Alphys. How could you have ever been frustrated with your friends? They’re so sincere.

“hey, bro. the two of us were kinda hoping to go out tonight.” Papyrus says, putting an arm around your shoulders. “would you mind watching the kiddo?”

“OF COURSE! I WOULD BE DELIGHTED! IN FACT, I THINK THERE IS A TERRATON MUSICAL MARATHON ON TONIGHT! WE COULD HAVE A MOVIE NIGHT!” Sans says, grinning.

“Ugh,” Alphys groans.

“NO ONE IS FORCING YOU TO STAY AND BE SERENADED BY TERRATON MOVIES WITH US,” Sans says. “YOU _COULD_ TAKE A PAGE OUT OF MY BROTHER AND HIS BOYFRIEND’S BOOK. MAYBE GO SEE UNDYNE? NOTHING _FISHY_ ABOUT THAT!”

Her face cracks into an anxious smile. “WHAT? No way, I’d be missing out on a… A _TERRATON_ of movies?!”

You start gagging, and before the short skeleton can say anything in response, Chara comes dancing down the steps, backpack already slung over their shoulder. They slide past Sans to come give you a hug and a rushed kiss on the cheek. Then, they turn to Papyrus and fling their arms around his neck, surprising him. He meets your eyes from over Chara’s shoulder as he gives them a quick hug, and you feel a swell of affection in your chest. You smile at each other. Then Chara lets go and quickly steps over to stand next to Sans.

“I’m ready!” They announce.

“are you sure, kiddo? got your lunch this time?” Papyrus asks, grabbing his plate and coffee before standing.

They roll their eyes at him. “Yes I did. I’m not forgetting it anymore.”

Papyrus opens the fridge, reaching in and grabbing something you can’t quite see. Chara looks up at him in confusion as he comes over and slips it into their backpack. “in that case kiddo, enjoy your treat later.” He ruffles Chara’s hair. They frown, but suddenly their eyes widen and they smile cheerfully up at him.

“IF WE ARE ALL READY, LET US STOP _BONEDOGGLING_ AND GO!” Sans says.

“one sec, bro.” Papyrus comes to your side and leans down to hug you. You return it, pressing a kiss against his jaw. As he lets you go, he gives you one last, quick brush of his mouth against your temple. “have a great day. i’ll see you tonight… i love you.”

Your smile widens, your cheeks warming as your heart feels full in your chest. “I love you too, Paps.”

Orange stains Papyrus’ cheeks as he pulls away, shoving his hands in his pockets. “great. i’m… i’m glad,” He mumbles. He clears his throat. “ok, i guess we’re gonna go now.”

“Okay, Paps,” You say, not even bothering to hide the massive grin on your face. He’s so adorable when he gets shy.

“see ya later.”

“I’d hope so, after what you promised.”

He lets out a snort of laughter and smiles down at you. Sans finally seems to take pity on him and ushers him towards the front door where Chara is shaking their head. Papyrus gives you a wink as he walks out, and you respond in kind, laughing. When the three of them finally leave you realize that you must still have a goofy smile on your face because Alphys is staring, holding her snout again.

“Need a tissue?” You ask her, fighting the blush still on your cheeks as you drain the last of your coffee.

“Yes,” Alphys says, with all the conviction of a lifetime fan. “You two are so damn in love.”

You arch an eyebrow, handing over the tissue. You give your oatmeal a stir. “Truly, it’s a wonderful feeling. And you too can feel the same, all for the low, low cost of confessing to Undyne.”

Her expression sours as she wipes her snout, giving you a frown. “Are you really going to bug me about this too? It doesn’t even matter.”

“I am. Strict orders from big bro Sans, after all.” That gets a snort out of her. Good. “And of course it matters! You’re my friend, Alphys, and I’m telling you, Undyne likes you. She gets super flustered around you, and the two of you talk all the time. She wouldn’t act like that if she wasn’t interested.” You eat a spoonful of your oatmeal. Darn, it’s gone cold. Eh, at least it tastes decent, and you’re still hungry.

“Stop, you really… Both you and Sans should just leave it be,” She snaps, but she sounds oddly subdued. She’s not meeting your eyes, and her claws keep tapping the table.

“Alphys, is… Is something wrong?” You ask, carefully.

She doesn’t respond. Biting your lip, you decide not to press any further. _That_ never seems to help. Instead, you fix yourself a quick bowl of oatmeal and begin eating. Alphys is periodically checking her phone, but you can see the tension in her body.

“Hey, so what are the chances of me getting into the royal guard?”

She looks up at you, and it takes all your willpower not to break into laughter at her bemused face. “What?”

You lean back in your chair, smirking. “You know, protecting the town and all that. I mean, I lasted pretty long against you, right? I’m sure if I trained with you and Sans, I’d be royal guard material in no time.”

Silence. Then all the tension leaves Alphys as she howls with laughter. You flinch when she slams her fist on the table hard enough to rattle the plates nearby.

“You, oh, oh buddy. That’s adorable.” She wipes a tear from her eye, shaking her head. “I needed that. You, uh, aren’t serious, right?” She adds, eyeing you.

You shake your head, chuckling. “Nah, fighting isn’t for me, though the irony is certainly tempting.” You respond between spoons of oatmeal. “But I have been thinking about grabbing a job. I know Paps and Sans have things covered, but with how things are going, you know, it might not be a bad idea.”

She snorts, absentmindedly fiddling with her phone again. “Maybe. But if the queen ever visited - and she would, believe me – you’d be dead. And yes,” Alphys cuts you off, “She does visit this far out. Word would spread of a new hire at some point, or she’d be doing her rounds and boom – dead human.”

“Ah. Well, that just means I need to captivate with my irresistible charm.” You strike a pose, smirking. “I did capture a skeleton’s non-existent heart, after-all.”

“Hah. Are you sure you’re not straight out of an anime?” Her smile fades, and she turns to watch the front door. “I wish I had that kinda talent.”

“Believe me, it’s not talent. I’ve had years of practice to hone this skill. I could always give you some tips, you know.” Alphys’ face brightens at the thought, but the smile quickly fades. Shifting your seat over, you straighten up. “Alphys, you know can talk to me. ”

She seems to struggle for a moment before letting out a ragged sigh.

“I…” Alphys clears her throat, the chair scraping along the tile as she pushes away from the table and leans against the sink instead. “I’m terrible at this! At talking to her. I just, I get all clammy and talk too fast and _stutter_ and then she acts all funny and her voice jumps and then I get sweaty. Sometimes I think she’s terrified of me, that I’m coming off too much, and then I say stupid crap like ‘How’s the weather?’ when it _never changes_ and-”

You set your food aside as she talks, walking over to place your hands on her shoulders. “Alphys, take a breath there.” You interrupt. She closes her eyes and does so, and you give small smile. “First off, if you feel that way about how you’re talking to her, Undyne is certainly feeling the same way. And secondly, uh, we definitely need to get you a better opening line than that. But don’t worry! With a little advice from yours truly, you’ll work things out with her in now time.”

Alphys grumbles, pulling out of your grasp and planting her arms on the table. “And what if you’re wrong?”

“Listen, if you’re seriously worried about what she thinks, I could ask. You know, to be sure,” You say, crossing your arms.

“NO WAY!” She blurts out, whirling back around to face you. You jump back, more than a little surprised by the sudden outburst. “Don’t mention a word to her, punk!” Alphys clenches her fist in front of her, baring sharp teeth.

“Okay, okay! No confessions from anyone but you, got it,” You say, trying your best to placate the angry lizard monster. Alphys fixes you with her glare, and you wait a few moments for her to suck in a deep breath before she finally lowers and relaxes her fist. “But if you’re honestly worried, how about we try a _different_ way to get your two hanging out more. Like, say, a totally-not-a-double-date outing?”

Alphys opens her mouth, probably to tell you off again, and then freezes. She blinks at you. “That sounds cliché. Are you serious?”

“Of course I am,” You respond, chuckling. Heh, with how your life has been going this past month or so, this is nothing. “Listen, after all you’ve done for me, it’s the least I can do. I’ll talk to Paps about it, I’m sure he wouldn’t mind.”

“ALRIGHT!” Then she turns on her heel and dashes out of the room.

You shake your head. Well, at least you can put your wingman skills to use and _not_ regret it after. You hope.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all! Sorry about the delay on this chapter; the past week was hectic, and with midterms coming up, it'll probably continue to be. But I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Better re-read your dating manuals for next chapter though. 
> 
> P.S. Chronicdelusionist is pretty damn awesome. You know, if you didn't know.


	37. Show You a World

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [ Onadacora's Original Fic ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/5053684/chapters/11621461) \--- [Chronicdelusionist's Comics](http://onadacora.tumblr.com/tagged/underswap-wtmyh/chrono) \--- [My Tumblr](http://darrelodin.tumblr.com/)

You dash out of the house, cursing yourself as you run toward Muffet’s. You could have sworn you’d had more time when you’d started reading, but somehow thirty minutes flew by and now you’re going to be late. ( _“Late again? Honestly, why do I even bother?”)._ Slowing down, you shake your head and take a breath. It’s fine. Papyrus wouldn’t mind.

Approaching Muffet’s, you look up only to stop and stare. Your boyfriend is leaning against the wall next to the door, illuminated in the light from the sign above. Papyrus isn’t wearing anything special –  just his normal shorts and huge orange hoodie – but the trail of cigarette smoke curling around his skull in the violet light is indescribable. Mysterious and aloof, maybe, as he looks at his phone. He’s smiling softly. You bet he’s looking at a picture of you, the hopeless romantic.

“Hey there, hot stuff. Waitin’ on anyone?”

Turning at the sound of your voice, Papyrus’ smile morphs into a cheeky grin. “yeah, my lazy bones boyfriend. we were gonna have a _real_ nice night out, too.” You think he must have slept at his station because he seems a lot more rested than he did earlier. Hopefully Sans never caught on.

You try to tamper down the smile probably rising to your own face, clearing your throat. “Well I guess he’s missing out tonight. Why don’t I show you a good time, rattle those bones of yours?”

“i dunno, we haven’t even opened up the dating hud yet. what would people say?”

“The what.” _What the hell is even_ in _that dating manual?_ You hadn’t exactly picked it back up after being so thoroughly japed.

“the dating hud. how else are you going to check your dating power?” Laughing at your flabbergasted face, Papyrus pulls you in for a hug. The scent of tobacco is comforting as he nuzzles your forehead.

“You’re absolutely ridiculous.” You lean back, shaking your head with a chuckle. The cigarette is gone from his teeth. “Sorry for being late, Paps. Got lost in a book.”

He takes your hand and starts leading you to the door. “it’s all good, hun. just don’t go falling in.”

“A little late for that.”

The rush of warm air inside the bar is welcome against your skin. You let out a sigh of relief as you step inside, glancing around to take in the familiar surroundings. Dogamy and Dogaressa are both there, nuzzling together in a booth by the window. God, do you and Papyrus look that disgustingly adorable when you’re doing PDA? No wonder Alphys reacts like she does. Shaking your head, you turn back to the bar where a smug-faced spider-lady awaits the pair of you.

“Ahuhuhu. Greetings, boys,” Muffet says, arms crossed and looking pointedly at Papyrus. “I’ll take it you’ll be having the usual tonight?”

You can’t help but chuckle at how Papyrus squirms under Muffet’s gaze. “don’t give me that look, muffet, you already know.”

“Of course I do, but it’s so much more satisfying hearing it straight from the horse’s mouth.” She giggles before glancing at you with a genuine smile. “And how are you, dearie? Anything special you’d like tonight?”

“Feeling fantastic.” You throw an arm over Papyrus’ shoulders. “And I’ll just have the usual tonight. This guy here’s the only special I need.”

You can practically feel Papyrus’ cheeks flush as Muffet hides her laughter behind a hand. “Say no more, dearie, say no more. I’ll be back out in a jiffy.” She throws you a wink, or at least, you think it is given how many eyes she has, before disappearing back into the kitchen.

“So what’s she looking so smug about?” You ask, settling back into your seat and gesturing toward the door Muffet went through. “You lose a bet or something?”

Papyrus shakes his head, smiling. “nah, she just loves gloating when she’s right.”

“Heh, I can believe that.” You watch him for a moment before fully understanding what he said. “Wait, was right about what?”

Sweat pools on the skeleton’s forehead. He makes a sound like he’s clearing his throat, but looks you in the eyes as he hesitantly answers, “just how much of an idiot i was being last night.”

“Ah.” Well, it makes sense that Papyrus _would_ come here… “And hey, I thought we agreed we were both idiots.” You say, trying to sound casual.

“nyeh, we did, didn’t we.” He holds your gaze as he searches your face. “but i still promised i wouldn’t do that again, and i meant that.” You give him an affectionate smile and he seems to relax.

“I believe you, Paps,” You say, brushing aside the topic. No need to keep bringing down the mood. “ _So_ , we get dinner, and follow up with dessert somewhere else, right?” You arch a brow, giving him a playful look.

Papyrus leans towards you, sliding his elbows across the bar and grinning. “not so fast, hun. gotta let the meal settle first,” He says. He wiggles his brows in amusement as he adds, “though let me tell you, you look absolutely _delicious_ tonight.”

You can’t resist the urge to smile, but manage to turn it into a coy grin instead. “Maybe you can have a bite after, then.”

“As long as none of it’s happening in my establishment.” You practically jump out of your seat at the sound of Muffet’s voice, heat rushing to your face as the spider-lady casually slides both your meals down to you. “Oh, and Papyrus?”

“yes, muffet?” Something in her voice must sound familiar to him, because the skeleton’s voice sounds defeated.

“ _Bone_ appetite.”

She’s shaking with laughter. You gently massage your forehead as Papyrus lets out a groan. “You know what, Paps? I’ve lost my appetite.”

“same.”

* * *

You’d been curious about Waterfall ever since Chara had told you about it over a month ago. The books you had read gave you some general descriptions, but reading about a place is never the same as actually being there. And sure, you could have taken it upon yourself to walk there, but it feels much more special coming here with Papyrus. Waterfall is truly beautiful.

The contrast of dark stone and grass against the glowing water is ethereal and otherworldly. A damp, earthy scent fills the air as you walk the dark, winding path. Peppered throughout the cavern are tall, large-petaled blue flowers. Echo flowers, from what you recall reading.

In stark contrast to Snowdin, it’s reasonably warm in Waterfall. It kind of reminds you of walking through the forest after a Spring shower, only here it’s also just a bit humid too. You ended up stripping off your outer coat, throwing it over your shoulder casually. You’re much more comfortable with just your light cotton jacket.

Papyrus has his arm around your shoulders as you walk, your own curled around his waist. He doesn’t seem affected by the change in temperature, which makes about as much sense as anything else, really. He leads you through numerous caverns, into a dark room filled with tiny, twinkling lights. You can’t help but stop and stare up at the ceiling.

“Hey Paps. This is the wishing room, right?”

He gives you a squeeze. “yep. these shiny rocks of ours come close to the stars up there?” His voice is tinged with curiosity as you realize he’s watching you.

“They’re beautiful,” You murmur. And they are. Twinkling above you, if you just pretend the darkness above is the midnight sky, you really could see it. You wonder what they look like up close. Maybe one of those flying monsters – there’s gotta be one or two somewhere Underground, right? – has gotten up close to them? Maybe they wouldn’t want to, though. Then it wouldn’t be a nighttime sky. It’d just be another ceiling. A decorated barrier, but a barrier all the same.

You turn and give Papyrus a half-smile. “But who needs to get lost in stars when I can get lost in your eyes? … Sockets.”

“that was terrible.”

You plant a kiss on his cheek. “And yet, you’re smiling.”

“and i love it.” He murmurs into your ear, nuzzling you back. The goofiest smile rises to your face at Papyrus’ tone. The affection and warmth is so genuine.

Pulling back, he glances up at the ceiling for a moment. He seems contemplative. “you know, i don’t really mind if i don’t get to the surface.”

“Why?”

“the underground is all i’ve ever known, ya know?” He shrugs, slowly walking forward. “and besides, everything i could ever want is here. good food, good friends…and you.” He adds, a wide smile on his face.

You feel your own face heating up, because _fuck,_ that was smooth. How does he keep leaving you speechless?

He lets out a chuckle as you turn away, but you hear him hesitate for a moment. Turning back, you give his arm a reassuring squeeze. “hun… do you miss the surface?”

Reaching up, you grasp his shoulders. The bone under his eyes look darker as he meets your eyes, and his smile seems forced. “Well, I’d be lying if I said no - Let me finish,” You add as he tries to look away. “But I would give up _any_ chance at seeing the world above just to stay with you. Why would I want to live anywhere without you? I…” He grasps your arm as you hesitate; fuck, it’s still hard to say the words. But he probably has the same fear of never hearing them again that you do. “I love you.”

“i love you too,” He says, and his smile turns genuine. You smile back as he leans down to nuzzle your forehead with a sigh. “come on, we’re not here just to stare at some old rocks after all. we want rocks with scratches on ‘em.”

“Oh, my favorite.”

You continue walking, passing by mushrooms glowing the same shade as the water. There’s a constant ‘plip’ of water droplets falling into the slow-moving streams nearby. “microalgae in the stream and mushrooms, or maybe some amoeba.” Papyrus explains when he notices your gaze. “bioluminescent. neat, huh?”

You face him in surprise. The explanation _isn’t_ magic?

“of course,” He continues, a sly look creeping over his face, “magic has leaked into the liquid, amplifying the effects to create that cyan color.”

You let out a massive sigh. “Magic-”

“-bullshit.” Papyrus finishes for you, flashing you a cheeky grin. You shake you head, smiling despite yourself. Looking forward, he hums. “well, that was faster than expected.”

“Paps?”

“these are what i wanted to show you.” He says, voice still barely above a whisper as he points toward the wall.

Following his hand, your eyes widen as you realize what you’re looking at. Carved into the rocky wall are countless inscriptions. Symbols you’ve seen recreated in that textbook, and many more that you haven’t, are dotted about.

“i, uh, thought you might like it.” Papyrus murmurs, not quite making eye contact as you turn to face him. “what with how you’ve covered that textbook of yours in notes and all.”

“Like? Understatement of the century.” You respond, tracing the words etched into the wall. The inscriptions are so smooth, and the rock seems melted into. Was this burnt into here? How long did it take? “This is incredible! These are ancient, probably carved when monsters journeyed down here…”

“nyeh hehe. well, go on then. these won’t read themselves. probably.”

Right. Reading. “One, uh, small problem, Paps.”

“oh? what could that be?” His shit-eating grin tells you he already knows.

You raise an eyebrow, crossing your arms. “I can’t read it.”

“wowie, that’s terrible.”

“If only my tall, dark and handsome boyfriend could read it for me.”

“you need only ask.” He says before (needlessly!) clearing his throat. “why did the humans attack? indeed, it seemed that they had nothing to fear. humans are unbelievably strong. it would take the soul of nearly every monster... just to equal the power of a single human soul.”

You’re as captivated by Papyrus’ voice as you are by the words themselves. It reminds you of the stories he’d tell you, as the pair of you lazed about at the Snowdin checkpoint. But his voice carries a grim undertone.

“Wow. I knew there was some sort of disparity, but this has got to be overblown. Right?” You interrupt. Glancing at Papyrus, you’re not even surprised to see the lit cigarette in between his teeth.

He gives you a shrug, looking over the inscriptions. “maybe, maybe not. undyne might know better, but it _is_ an ancient prophecy. those things are always true.”

You let out a snort, shaking your head.

He walks over to the next set of inscriptions, still holding you close. “but humans have one weakness. ironically, it is the strength of their soul. its power allows it to persist outside the human body, even after death. if a monster defeats a human, they can take its soul. a monster with a human soul... a horrible beast with unfathomable power.”

You suppress a shudder at that, eyes moving down to the end of the hall, where one last carving rests.  No words surround it, only the image of... Something.  Whatever it is, it sends momentary shivers down your spine. Nothing you’ve seen in the Underground, or even in any sort of story, comes close to the being. Its depiction is seemingly smashed into the stone. Hell, even the wall around it looks like it took a beating.

Looking it over one more time, you turn to your boyfriend – God, even thinking it makes you feel goofy – and say, “Papyrus, this… Wow!”

“nyeh hehe. i take it this date is getting a good review?”

You flash him a coy look. “It’s certainly meeting all my standards so far. ‘Good food, a gorgeous view, and some very shiny rocks.’”

“uh, good.” His cheeks flush orange. Yes, you still got it. “there’s more of it too. well, minus ancient pictures of destruction.”

“There’s _more_? Be ready to catch me, I think I’m gonna faint.” You lean heavily into Papyrus’ side, smiling at the snort of laughter that escapes him. “I need to hit up Anorta at this rate. I’d love to know what’s behind those carvings and the story. How old is that prophecy? Who first started it?”

Papyrus chuckles, giving you a squeeze. “come on, waterfall has a few other hideaways around here to. i know there’s an old statue further in, near the rain.”

“Oh, there has got to be a good story behind that one. Lead the way!”

You can’t think of anyone else you’d rather explore your home with.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew, just in time before midterms. Thankfully I'm on break next week, so maybe we'll see a couple of chapters in quick succession.
> 
> P.S. Chronicdelusionist is actually is actually a real person. I know, someone so incredible sounds too good to be true, but they are.


	38. Some Real Feelings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [ Onadacora's Original Fic ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/5053684/chapters/11621461) \--- [Chronicdelusionist's Comics](http://onadacora.tumblr.com/tagged/underswap-wtmyh/chrono) \--- [My Tumblr](http://darrelodin.tumblr.com/)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is your regularly scheduled warning about some sex happening.

For someone who went camping fairly often as a kid, you’d think you would have some survival instincts. But no, you instead decide that running around in the rain in Waterfall is a good idea. Papyrus does try to keep you under an umbrella, but you keep wandering away. It’s only after you’re losing feeling in your hands that you realize  you should have listened. Now you’re stuck walking in soaked-through clothes and wet, squishy socks. Eugh.

You spend about a half an hour walking back home, and the closer to Snowdin the two of you become, the colder you get. Honestly, you really are an idiot for this. It’s your own fault and you’re honestly willing to just walk as fast as possible back, but at some point Papyrus realizes your teeth are actually chattering and stops you. Chastising you gently, he pulls you close and you feel the familiar lurching in your stomach as you’re suddenly elsewhere. Closer to home, but  _ much  _ colder. You let out a sudden curse at the change in temperature and you teleport again with Papyrus murmuring an apology in your ear. He can’t move too far in one go.

Then you’re back in your shared bedroom, shivering more violently than you’d like and stripping out of your wet layers with the help of your concerned boyfriend. Papyrus’ hands are blissfully warm against your cold skin as he peels off your shirt and dumps it over the weights. You can’t be bothered to actually untie your sneakers, instead using your feet to wedge them off. As Papyrus turns to face you, you can’t help but throw him a sly wink and slowly let your sopping wet pants and underwear drop. They make a very unsexy ‘plop’ noise as they fall at your feet.

“see, now that’s why you’re the best: weird noises,” He says, leaning down to grab the thick comforter from the bed. “come over here and get warmed up, hun.”

You let out a weak laugh, pressing in close and tucking your ice cold nose under his jaw. “My own personal heater, how nice,” You mutter as he hugs you close. You can feel his inhuman warmth even through his hoodie, but even as you sigh happily against him Papyrus doesn’t seem fazed by your cold skin. At least until you duck your hands into his shorts, clutching the sides of his pelvis and eliciting a sudden moan.

“You know, I think your noises are even better,” You murmur, humming with pleasure. “But it’s really unfair of you to hide so much of yourself.”

“i don’t complain about all the skin on you. in fact, i love it.”

“Well I love these bones of yours. Why can’t I see more of them, hmm?”

He peers down at you. “only if you close your eyes until i say so.”

“Kinky.” You say, smiling at his guffaw. “But if I open my eyes and get a pie in the face, you’re sleeping on the floor.”

You sit on the bed, eyes shut as you snuggle deeper into the comforter. It’s really huge, but considering Papyrus is practically a foot taller than you, it makes sense.

“when.”

You let out a snort. He  _ would _ . You open your eyes to see Papyrus leaning against the wall, clothing lazily tossed about. As your eyes trail down his body, you notice a light orange tinge rise to his cheeks. He is so adorable when he gets flustered.

“You know, I never really get the chance to take you all in,” You say as he walks over and looks down at you. Man, he looks absolutely huge like this.

His blush deepens, but he’s still smiling. “are you sure? i thought you managed pretty well last night.” He says, wiggling his brows at you.

“Really?” You let out a groan at his joke as he sits down next to you. He shudders slightly as you absently trail your fingers across his ribs. “But seriously… How about this. I do a touch, you do a touch, okay?”

He looks you up and down before a soft smile rises to his face. “sounds good to me, hot stuff.”

“Heh, it should be cold stuff. I’m still freezing.”

Since you’re already there, you start with his chest. His ribs are surprisingly compact, you realize, your fingers tracing over the smooth bone. They’re still larger than a human’s, but they rest well above his pelvis. You can almost imagine a Soul floating in the center there. You’ve never seen Papyrus’ Soul, now that you think about it. Then again, you wouldn’t be able to touch it, would you?

“i don’t mind a little chill,” He says. His own hand mirrors you, rubbing your chest. You let out an appreciative hum at the warmth.  “besides, skeletons are natural cuddlers. we can warm up you poor meat sacks, easy.”

“Oh thank God, whatever would we do without you.” You say, shaking your head. Even now, as you give his lower ribs one final rub, he can still joke around with you. You guess that’s just part of why you love him so much, though. Moving lower, you reach down and slowly grip his spine. It’s so thin you can almost wrap your hands completely around it. Maybe that’s why he wears that huge hoodie all the time, to give the illusion of being larger, or at least wider.

Apparently it’s pretty sensitive as well, considering the sharp intake of breath Papyrus takes as you give a light squeeze. You see a brief flash of orange before he leans down for a kiss. Oh, already going for the tongue? You hum, pulling him closer to you.

The comforter falls off of you as his hands move to trail down your back, soothingly warm. Breaking the kiss, Papyrus let his hands rest on your ass, giving you a squeeze. You tighten your hands around his spine reflexively, and he lets out a low moan. The two of you quickly devolve into stroking and squeezing each other. At some point, you fall back, letting Papyrus lean over you, even as you reach down to clutch at his pelvis bone. His hand spasms from where he was clutching your thigh. Huh, it must be pretty sensitive.

He’s practically vibrating in place as your rub the crest of the bone. “i, uh, ain’t gonna last long at this rate, hun.” He gasps out, orange light peeking out from his narrowed eyes. Oooh, especially sensitive, huh? You’ll have to remember that for another time.

You shift a hand toward the base of his spine, your own heart beating faster as his head falls back at your touch. A few forceful rubs later and Papyrus lets out a deep, ragged moan, going still under your touch. Even when you release him, he stays rigid for a moment before letting out a shaky breath, tilting his head to nuzzle your cheek and throat. You can’t help but let out a laugh, pressing heated kisses along his skull. “hun, that…” He trails off, holding you tightly.

“Left you speechless? I know, I am pretty amazing.”

He laughs, nuzzling against your neck. “can’t argue with that.” His thighbone - no, wait, his femur? Shoot, you really should know this. – brushes against your crotch, pulling a moan out of you. He smirks at you. “after that, well, i’d hate to be inattentive to  _ your _ bone.”

You should not be blushing at that statement, yet here you are. Blushing. At such a terrible joke. You are incredibly disappointed in yourself. Any attempt at a response transforms into an appreciative moan as the familiar soft cushion of magic over his phalanges grips your cock. “Fuck, that feels good.” You gasp out.

He gives your dick a few cursory strokes before releasing it. At your soft whine, he chuckles. “come on hun, i can’t rush dessert like that. i need to enjoy it.”

“You’re just playing with your food.” You groan, hands twisting in the sheets. Wait, what did you just say? That wasn’t even sexy!

“what can i say? it’s lots of fun.” Apparently it was sexy enough for Papyrus. “And you never did answer if you like it rough.”

Your face is on fire as you force yourself onto your elbows to look at Papyrus. He’s looking up at you with a hungry look on his face as he nuzzles up against your groin. You feel his arms slide underneath your legs, hands clutching your ass again. “You, ah, up to find out?”

“sorry to disappoint, but magic can’t do  _ everything. _ ”

“Bullshit.” You bark out, before letting your head fall back.

He lets out a laugh, leaning over and kissing hard and fast before nuzzling into your neck. You rest your head on his, too busy enjoying the feeling of Papyrus stroking you at a  _ much too slow pace but it feels so good damn it _ . You let out a gasp as pinpricks of pain spark at your neck. Did he just fucking bite- your trail of thought stutters as you feel his tongue lick you, a deep groan escaping your throat.

With a few faster strokes of his hand and another surprise bite, you’re quickly shoved over the edge, back arching as your cry out. The feeling of ecstasy spreads through you in waves of pleasure and you lay back as Papyrus releases you. You blearily look up at his smug face and give a shaky thumbs up.

“Paps, that felt amazing.” You manage to gasp out, sucking in a steadying breath. “Fuck, I love you.”

“heh, only the greatest for you, hun.” He murmurs, smiling down at you. “and i love you too.”

His gaze flicks down to your neck, and his expression tenses. “oops,” He murmurs as he reaches up to trace the slope of your shoulder. “uh, guess you’ve got a couple of new tattoos.”

“Well, yeah. You did bite me,” You respond. As his jaw clenches, you quickly add, “Hey! Don’t feel bad about it, we just had an amazing time. You think I don’t wish I could chew on your bones?”

He gives you a bemused look. “you remember that I work with dogs, right?”

You stare back at him for a moment. “Have… No, no, not asking.”

A massive grin breaks out on his face. “nyeh hehe, gotcha,” He says, winking. Despite his joking manner, you can tell the tension has left him. Good. He shouldn’t feel bad for leaving a hickey, of all things, on you.

You shake your head, chuckling along with him. “That was terrible.”

“you’re smiling.”

Yawning, you let Papyrus wrap his arms around you. “I am, and I love it.” You murmur back at him. He lets out a quiet snort, giving you a weak squeeze.

As you fall asleep in the arms of your boyfriend, you realize you left the comforter lying on the floor. Eh, who cares. You’ve got all the warmth you need from him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only took a couple of extra days, but here y'all are! Hope you all enjoyed.
> 
> P.S. Chronicdelusionist makes my jokes actually funny. They're kinda amazing like that.
> 
> P.S.S. Onadacora is such a wonderful human being, for realz yo.


	39. Just Like My Japanese Animes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [ Onadacora's Original Fic ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/5053684/chapters/11621461) \--- [Chronicdelusionist's Comics](http://onadacora.tumblr.com/tagged/underswap-wtmyh/chrono) \--- [My Tumblr](http://darrelodin.tumblr.com/)

It takes a full week for the hickeys to finally fade away completely, and in that time you are ninety-five percent sure Alphys doesn’t have enough blood for the amount of nosebleeds she gets as a result of staring at them. Sans and Chara buy, or, well, don’t question, your excuse of stumbling about in Waterfall that date-night with Papyrus and hurting yourself. Thankfully.

When the marks do disappear, it feels a little odd. You haven’t had someone leave a mark on you like that in… Well, years, really. It had been comforting, in a way. Of course, an offhand remark near the end of the second week since that night results in a fresh ‘tattoo’ that leaves Papyrus smiling sheepishly down at you before offering to try and heal it. You refuse, because man it will be worth remembering that night every time you see it.

Of course, it’s in plain view. Again. So you tell another lame excuse – “Yeah, turns out those weights can really hurt a guy.” – that Chara and Sans seem to buy when you come downstairs the next morning. Alphys, however, just breaks out in laughter as she makes a show of grabbing a tissue for her nose. Later, when the two of you are alone, she teases you about it. You would normally counter with absurd amounts of detail about your sex life, but knowing Alphys she might write it down or something. Instead, you casually think out loud about just how hot it is in Hotland and “Huh, considering the place is called Hotland, and Undyne is a fish, do you think she wears anything underneath her labcoat, Alphys? Wouldn’t want her burning up in there.” The lizard monster’s face flashes a bright red and she makes a hasty retreat into the bathroom.

Chara hits the one-month mark at Snowdin’s school (and two months in the Underground). In honor of the occasion, their teacher throws an impromptu party for the class and invites you to come along. When you arrive, numerous monster children quickly surround you, staring up in awe as a smug Chara watches. They all seem to want your help with classwork. Thankfully the teacher quickly comes to your rescue, and as she does, explains that Chara has been bragging about their ‘super smart dad’ tutoring them back home.

You’d argue you’re not exactly teaching, but when they explain that even some of the other parents have been asking about tutors lately, you quickly put forth the offer of helping out for some gold. Heh. And  _ he  _ said you’d never help anyone except yourself.

As you’re leaving, the teacher surprises you with a handful of photos from the past month. Your favorite has to be a shot from today, when you picked up Chara and their friend Suzy and flew them around the room. It’s funny; even though you knew you were feeling drained entertaining the kids, you look happy. Even now, a smile rises to your face at the ecstatic laughs visible on Chara and Suzy’s faces. No wonder Papyrus always loves taking photos of everyone. Sometimes taking a look back helps you reflect on these simple joys.

The rest of the photos are of Chara at school, playing with Suzy and the others. There’s one where they’re focused on drawing something at their desk, a satisfied smile on their face as they observe their hard work. You decide to add the collection to Chara’s drawings stuck to the fridge. You’re sure that Papyrus will want to see them, too.

Your fridge looks like one of those television perfect fridges these days, just covered in Chara’s art. You can really see an improvement in their drawings, too. Alphys has taken it upon herself to educate Chara in the noble art of, well, art. You think it’s just an excuse to draw anime characters, but Chara enjoys it all the same.

You’ve accompanied Alphys to Undyne’s lab a few times now, with and without Chara. At first Papyrus isn’t too keen on the idea, and one time while he’s working in Hotland he pops in to visit. Eventually he seems reassured that you’re safe enough with the two monsters… At least after a few words and mentioning how Alphys would  _ not stop talking about how adorably protective he is _ . So now, as you and Alphys head out alone to catch a ride with the Riverperson, Papyrus just reminds you to call him if you need him and tells you to have fun watching those children’s cartoons. Alphys turns to do something – probably launch herself at his laughing face – but by the time she has Papyrus is already gone. You have to hold in your own laughter, if only out of fear of facing her wrath instead.

You’re finally out of the house more these days, what with those sudden tutoring sessions you’re running, but it’s still nice to take a break from the cold of Snowdin altogether. At the very least, it’s a change of pace. As Alphys grumbles about ‘stupid skeletons with no taste,’ you make conversation with the Riverperson as they take you through the waterways of the Underground, answering polite inquiries about Chara. You’re surprised that they remember the two of you.

When you step off the boat and into Hotland proper, you cast a sly grin over at Alphys. “So, are you gonna  _ finally  _ ask her about the double-date?” You coo, just like you’ve done every day since you found out the lizard monster chickened out that day you suggested it. How can one fish monster send this warrior running?

And just like every other time, Alphys’ face flushes red and she casts a fierce glare at you. “Shut it, you. Let’s just get inside.” She snaps, leading the way up to the lab.

Chuckling to yourself, you follow obediently. As much as you’d just like to just blab away about how adorable they’d look together, you promised Alphys to stay out of it.

Undyne has a day of anime planned for the three of you, which is pretty typical. She’s disappointed you’ll need to leave a little earlier for a last-second tutoring appointment, but apparently season one of her favorite anime is pretty short. Unlike Alphys, Undyne had been a little less critical of your general lack of anime experience – at least compared to her and the obsessed lizard. You can see why it’s enjoyable, but you’ll never tell them how you’ll occasionally joke around with Papyrus about the plots and character voices (Because neither of them watch these things dubbed. Obviously). That’s a secret you’re taking to the grave.

While you spend the day watching TV in a corner of the lab, you’re also sneaking peeks at the two monsters. You regret it every time. Alphys’ gaze is stuck to the screen, and you swear you’ve caught her mouthing the protagonists’ lines. Meanwhile, Undyne seems unsure of what’s the better view: the show or Alphys. Alphys seems to be winning as time passes. At one point, she even seems about to try and stretch, and you swear time slows down as her arms go up… Just in time for Alphys to bolt upright and let out a shout at the villain of the show kidnapping the love interest. Undyne looks just a bit put out after that, but within an episode she’s back to sighing over her unknowing crush.

Pulling out your phone, you send a text to Papyrus out of sheer exasperation. ‘It’s like I’m back in high school, trying to help people hook up all over again.’

A few moments later your phone buzzes with his reply. ‘how often were you doing that?’

‘They called me the year round Cupid.’

‘well shoot some arrows, hot stuff.’

As you type out a response, you glance up just in time to take a pillow to the face. You put your phone away quickly and turn to the television before Alphys can chuck another one at you. Fuck, she notices you on your phone but  _ not  _ Undyne practically salivating next to her?

When the time comes to leave, you want to shake Alphys when she suddenly leaps up and shouts something about forgetting some “ROYALGUARDCAPTAINDUTIESYEPGOTTAGO!” And dashing out before you.

Politely wishing Undyne a good afternoon, you go outside and level an unamused glare at Alphys. The fish monster has the decency to look ashamed of herself, but it’s clear she’s frustrated as she clenches her fists. “Don’t say it.” She growls.

You put your hands up. “I’m not! But… Maybe let’s not start talking right outside the lab?”

Alphys huffs, stalking away. The energy leaves her the closer you get to the water, and as you step on she lets out a massive sigh. “I’m never gonna spit it out. And that was such a stupid, stupid thing to do.”

“It’s okay, it’s fine. Sure, maybe you were completely oblivious that entire time, but we can recover,” You say, rubbing her shoulder reassuringly. She scoffs, but doesn’t shove you away. Which is nice, given that you’d rather not catch another cold walking through Snowdin soaking wet. “Look, how about this: While we’re going back to Snowdin, text her. Tell her sorry, obviously, but that you also forgot to ask if she wanted to come out to dinner with the three of us.”

The only response is the gentle ‘drip-drop’ of the water around you both, until Alphys turns and asks, “You’re still willing to do that?”

“Of course I am!”

* * *

“But why can’t we come too?”

News that you’d be going out for dinner without Chara or Sans had not met a great response. Before you sits a disgruntled child, arms crossed and a pout on their face. In the kitchen, you can hear Alphys and Sans (Papyrus watching to make sure Alphys doesn’t try cooking by herself) talking while dinner is being cooked.

They’re too smart to accept something like ‘adult’s night out.’ Plus, it’d be pretty rude to exclude Sans too when he’s an adult too. Best to just come clean on this one. “You know that one anime movie, the one with the super smart but lonely boy who really likes the popular girl, but doesn’t know she likes him back and they spend the entire movie failing to tell each other?”

They squint up at you. Yeah, not your best description. “…Yes.” But good enough, apparently.

You give their hair a ruffle, chuckling at the smile they fail to stamp down. “Awesome, squirt! Yeah, just imagine Alphys is the girl and Undyne is the boy.”

“Then what are you and Papyrus?”

“their funny and charming friends who see what they cannot, and are the only ones who can get them to confess their ultimate feelings.” Papyrus says, popping up behind your shoulder. Chara starts giggling, probably at how you let out a yelp at the sudden voice. Papyrus’ arms wrap around you, giving you a squeeze in apology.

Chara looks between the two of you, smile faltering slightly. “Then… Who’s going to help me with my homework?”

“OBVIOUSLY THE  _ SANSATIONAL  _ SANS SHALL!” You hear from the kitchen. A scoff from Alphys quickly leads to an argument over the finer points of figurine battle formations, puzzles and their uses in academics. Eh, knowing Sans, he’ll probably pull out the word search and help Chara for their spelling test that way.

A buzzing from your pocket interrupts your thoughts. Who on earth – oh, it’s Undyne.

“HEY!” You flinch back from your phone. “It’s me, Undyne. Just calling about the, uh, thing this weekend.”

“Hey Undyne. It’s great that you’re coming with us, we need to get you out of the lab more!”

Her voice gets softer, and you’re having trouble hearing her entirely as she responds. “Yeah, I’ve heard that before… I just, uh, needed to let you all know that we’re…” You strain your ears, trying to catch the end of the sentence, but at this point Undyne is mumbling.

“Uh, could you repeat that? I didn’t quite catch...” You wait a moment, and you’re almost positive you hear the sounds of metal. “Undyne?”

“Hey! My dude!”

Oh no. “Hey Terraton. Is Undyne still there?” You can feel Papyrus’ arms tense up around you when you mention his name.

“The doctor? Totally!” Sometimes, you’re not sure which decade Terraton is trying to appropriate. “But she was taking ages to spill the beans, so I thought I’d do her a favor and let you cool dudes know that everything is on the house tonight.”

What. “’On the house?’”

“Yeah! This double-date is a sweet idea, and where better to have the sweet go  _ sultry  _ than my own restaurant?”

You make a face, much to Chara’s amusement. “I’m sure.”

“By the way,” He murmurs, as best as a robot can anyway. “Great job getting these two slowpokes to pick it up already. Been trying for ages.”

“Uh, no… Problem?”

“Sick! See, this is why you humans are incredible! You just get stuff done. Anyways, see  _ you  _ this weekend.”

As the line buzzes, Papyrus sighs into your back. “that bucket of bolts just has to stick his knobs where no one wants them.”

“Can’t be that bad. Free dinner, Paps. What’s not to love?” You say, turning in his arms to plant a kiss on his cheekbone. “We’ll be fine.”

He looks down at you for a moment before giving you a small smile. “yeah. ‘sides, always wanted to know how the terraton steak tastes.”

“That’s the priciest thing on the menu, isn’t it?”

“it has the guy’s face on it, you better believe it.”

You let out a snort, giving Papyrus one last squeeze before letting go. You really need to learn just what is up with Terraton. Because clearly, the robot does not know how to hit on people, and it makes you wonder just  _ what  _ he did to try and hook the two women up.

Well, whatever it is, he can’t screw things up too badly this weekend.

…

Nope, you don’t believe that for a second.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still got it within the week! Setting up for some fun times this upcoming weekend. What could possibly go wrong at a dinner?
> 
> P.S. Chronicdelusionist is absolutely incredible. Look at that awesome pic, look at it! Amazing.
> 
> P.S.S. Onadacora is an absolute gem.


	40. Double Dating... Start?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [ Onadacora's Original Fic ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/5053684/chapters/11621461) \--- [Chronicdelusionist's Comics](http://onadacora.tumblr.com/tagged/underswap-wtmyh/chrono) \--- [My Tumblr](http://darrelodin.tumblr.com/)

“Papyrus, just how fancy a place are we talking?”

“’fancy’ isn’t the word i’d use. gaudy? yeah, gaudy’s the word.” Next to you, Alphys lets out a snort.

When the day arrived for the ‘totally-not-a-double-date’ date, as Papyrus called it, you were surprised to find out that somehow, in the burning down of her house, Alphys had managed to save an entire party dress. She looked pretty good in it too, a single shoulder bare and her scales shimmering in the light.

You shake your head as you all approach the lab, sweat building up underneath your clothes. Hotland lives up to its name and at any other time you’d be happy, but not now. As you approach the lab, the door opens to reveal…

Well, damn. Undyne can clean up. A glance at Alphys confirms that lizard-monster.exe has, in fact, stopped working. Only Papyrus seems unsurprised, giving a lazy wave to the blustering fish. “sup ‘dyne. ready for girls’ night out?”

She rolls her eyes. “Are you? I remember drinking you under the table the last time we went out.”

What. Papyrus shrugs, though orange still tinges his cheeks at that response, while Alphys stares at the fish in awe. Undyne seems to realize you and Alphys are staring and murmurs something unintelligible.

“hey, that was ages ago, undyne. you wound me.” Papyrus scoffs, earning a mock glare from Undyne. “Besides, I’m sure the captain will outdo even you tonight.”

“YEAH!” 

“What, am I just a non-entity here?” You say, nudging Papyrus. “Come on, let’s get going.”

* * *

The first thing that hits you as the elevator doors open is the noise. There’s a heavy bass beat playing somewhere, and as Alphys leads the way, practically flying along with Undyne clutching her hand, you start feeling it rattle your bones. “Hey, Paps, is it like this all the time?”

“overbearingly loud music playing? a beat so heavy it could even wake me from a nap?”

“I think you’re exaggerating, Paps.” You say, throw an arm behind his back. “The only thing that can wake you from a nap is Sans.”

“that’s ridiculous. you can too.”

“Yeah, but I cheat.”

The building stretches high into the darkness above, shimmering in blue and white neon lights. And of course, everywhere in sight is the smug face of Terraton. On signs, on billboards, hell. Even the stone pathway leading up to the absolutely massive entrance of the resort has Terraton faces on it. “Man, you sure he needs fans? He loves himself more than enough.”

“oh, we haven’t even gotten to the best part. this is nothing.”

Stepping into the resort, you see that he’s right. He has a statue of himself, a fountain, standing in the water and shooting more of it. You can also clearly see a spot of water damage on the carpet nearby, though it seems old.  

“My dudes! You’re  _ finally  _ here!” A familiar voice cries out. From the hall, the robot himself wheels over, blue and yellow flashing on his monitor, a backwards cyan cap on his head. He grabs your hand and gives it a shake. Papyrus grunts next to you. “So glad you all could come. Now, I know you’re here for dinner, but really, it’d be sweet if you toured after.”

Before you have any time to consider his words, Terraton practically yanks you along toward the entrance to the restaurant, the others following closely after you. As the host lets out a cry of delight as Terraton passes by, quickly waving the rest of you by after him, you can’t help but stare at everything. The walls are dotted in posters for Terraton CDs. The menus look like Terrraton. The  _ tablecloths  _ have Terraton on them. Even in his music playing in the background, the occasional cry of ‘Terraton’ can be heard.

“Ah, admiring my swag-tastic resort, cool dude?” Oh Lord, just end it now. “I wanted to capture the essence of those human ones I check out. How’s it measure up?”

“Well, none of the ones I ever visited looked quite like this.” You answer truthfully. No need to mention that you’ve never been to one; He doesn’t need to know that minor detail.

You actually don’t hear a response immediately back from the robot. Shocking. “Well, that just means we’ve gone above and beyond, dude!” His overly cheery voice responds.

Dear Lord, the fucking chairs are shaped like him.

“Server will be out in a minute, dudes! Chillax and enjoy the sweet sound of me around you! Be back in a flash!” 

Undyne shoots you an apologetic look as you sit. “I’m really sorry for all this. He had heard me talking about going out and, well…”

“You don’t have to apologize for anything, Undyne!” Alphys shouts. “The only one who should is that boombox.” 

“gotta agree with the captain here, ‘dyne.” Papyrus says, fiddling with the silver cube sitting on the table. There’s a tealight candle in it - and of course, it too is shaped like Terraton. “you might’ve made him, but he’s the one being an ass. even if the food is free.”

As you chat, waiting for your server, you decide to take a look at the menu as well. The moment you open it you’re greeted with a quarter-page glossy photo of a steak in the shape of Terraton’s face. “You weren’t kidding about the face-steak.”

“did you really not believe me?” Papyrus asks, shooting you a smirk.

“I was  _ hoping _ ...”

Laughing, he flips to the back of the drinks and desserts. “i find it therapeutic to eat, myself.”

“Why, do my eyes deceive me? Papy, out with  _ friends? _ ”

Papy? The entire table looks up from their menus as your server arrives. The first thing your brain comes up with is ‘wolf.’ His thick, furry hair is styled into a set of tousled curls that are tinged cyan. It matches his vibrant vest and the little tufts of fur that peek out from his chest. The rest of him that you can see is a trim, grey-colored fur that’s especially fine on his face. He’s very wide, almost impossibly broad-shouldered. Two large, gold eyes are fixed on Papyrus, flashing canines in a bright smile.

“i take that accusation personally, jim. these are my lavish, adoring fans,” He says, an easy grin on his face.

You wonder how they know each other. Wait, Papyrus did mention something about doing some work here at the resort before. You suppose it’s not crazy to think he’d actually talk to people.

“The only fan here, is your  _ boyfriend,  _ nerd!” Alphys shouts at him, as Undyne shakes her head. She still smiles, the traitor.

“A boyfriend?” That grabs the wolf’s attention, and you feel the sweat build up on the back of your neck as he smiles down at you. Yep, those are some large teeth right there. You can’t help but think he’s sizing you up. “Why, I never thought I’d see the day. Where’re you from, hot shot? Can’t say I’ve seen someone like you around.” His voice sounds warm and friendly. Maybe you’re just overthinking things a little. He’s still a monster, after all.

“Oh, Snowdin,” You say, all smiles. You and Papyrus had worked out a backstory, in case anyone bothered to ask. It’s surprising that your waiter of all people would one the first one to broach the subject. “Lived out in the woods for a while, but after my parents fell I decided to move a bit closer to others. Gets lonely, you know?”

He nods, giving an apologetic smile to you. “Golly, isn’t it cold for you there though? No fur for warmth at all?” He glances back at Papyrus then chuckles, throwing you a wink. “Then again, with this bundle of bones around, I’m sure you stay nice and toasty.”

“Oh he  _ definitely  _ does,” Alphys interrupts, a wide grin on her face. You’re positive you’re matching Papyrus’ blush lumen for lumen.

“I’ll take your word for it, Captain.” His eyes widen as he looks back between Alphys and Undyne. “Oh my, is this a double date then? The doctor and yourself…?”

The look of shock on Undyne’s face matches the sudden blush rising on Alphys’. Neither of them seem quite sure what to say in response, much to your amusement.

“why jim, this is a ‘totally-not-a-double-date’ date. couldn’t you tell the difference?” Papyrus cuts in with a shake of his head, audibly insincere. Undyne shoots him a look, as if betrayed somehow, while Alphys continues to turn crimson. You have to admit; it looks good with her dress. She might not appreciate that observation, though. “though... both of them wore special clothes tonight. wait, you’re wearing clothes too! what’s the occasion, trying to impress some lucky monster?” He adds, waggling his brows. You can’t help but chuckle to yourself at his antics.

“Same old Papy, I see.” Jim chuckles, shaking his head with a smile. “Since you’re obviously still back in Snowdin, how’s my cousin doin’? Haven’t had a chance to talk with her in ages now.”

“Sheep? yeah, she’s doing fine. if she can’t beat the cold, she just chucks it away.” Wait, chucks… The shredded sheep who literally throws ice blocks all day is this guy’s cousin? 

“That’s wonderful. Haven’t had a pack meeting in ages. Hmm, should start planning that…” He gives a shake, reminding you of Lesser Dog, and pulls out a small notepad and pencil from his pocket. “Now, now. Y’all didn’t come here for me to hear me bark away. What would be people like to drink, while I give you a bit more time to look at the menu?” 

“whatcha thinking, hun?” Papyrus asks, looking through the drink list. “wanna split a bottle of wine?”

You hesitate, feeling Jim’s large gold eyes watching you. “Nah, not really feeling wine tonight. Whatcha got on tap?”

“Let’s see, there’s the firestorm, love hug, ice-slide, feelin’ like trash, oh, and can’t forget ‘the zappa.’”

You look Jim in the eyes. “Please don’t tell me ‘the zappa’ is in a mug shaped like Terraton.”

Without even a twitch of a smile, the wolf responds, “I won’t tell you, then.”

Papyrus chuckles next to you as you sigh. “i’ll go with the firestorm myself.”

“Oh, so you can keep me warm all night, hmm?” You shoot at him, flashing a wink. Across from you, Alphys makes a strangled noise while Undyne’s cheeks flush. You turn back to the smiling Jim. “I’ll take it. Gotta check that off my bucket list.”

He nods, writing yours and the others orders. “Sounds great. Be back in a flash.”

“Just don’t,” You get about as far as turning your head to Undyne as she speaks before you realize what’s coming from her tone. “ _ Fur- _ get about us.”

Jim laughs at Papyrus’ tortured expression as the rest of you groan. Undyne is wearing a shark’s grin.

“Well played, doctor,” Jim says, and turns to Papyrus. “I missed that routine. Bring Sans up sometime, hm?”

“sure thing, jim.” He replies, propping himself up on his elbow with a sort of deflated resignation.

You wait for Jim to walk away before raising an eyebrow at Papyrus. “Papy?” You ask.

He ignores Alphys’ laughter, shrugging. “he’s a friendly guy.”

You eye Alphys and Undyne, who are watching you closely. This double date thing is not gonna work out if they focus on the two of you. “Observant, too.” You say meaningfully, eyes darting between them. They both flush.

Any further blustering from Alphys or Undyne is cut off by the robotic voice of Terraton shouting, “I’m back! And how are my  _ favorite _ human and doctor doing so far?”

Holding in a sigh, you plaster a smile onto your face and mentally prepare yourself for the musical robot.

* * *

The drink is, in fact, served in a Terraton mug. At least it tastes pretty good, leaving an electric tingle in your mouth. You’d ask what makes it do that, but you’re pretty sure the answer is magic.  _ As always. _

Dinner is amazing, and the food itself is more than palatable, much to your shock. You suppose that at the very least the monsters cooking know what they’re doing, unlike Terraton. He doesn’t seem to quite understand that he’s fifth-wheeling, literally, all over the night. Undyne visibly shrinks whenever he comes over, voice unintelligible over Terraton or the music blasting around.

Jim must have the patience of a saint, because despite the robot showing up constantly for conversation, to brag about his establishment, and act as server, the wolf manages to distract him and attend to each and every one of you without fail.

“And that, cool dudes, is how disco saved the day.” Terraton finishes. A canned applause track plays – though you can see some of the nearby patrons also clapping. Why do people like this guy that much? You will admit, some of his music isn’t bad, but his personality is so…  _ Terraton _ , as Paps would say.

As the robot wheels around to give your arm a squeeze – he is seriously handsy, geez take a hint dude – Jim returns with the dessert menus. “Sir, there seems to be a bit of a commotion in the lobby.”

“Oh now, we can’t have that! Be back in a flash, dudes!” Terraton says, wheeling away.

The second he’s out of earshot, the entire table lets out a collective sigh of relief, to Jim’s apparent amusement. Handing out the menus, he says, “Now then, what would you all like for dessert? I’m rather partial to-”

The wolf’s voice is cut off by the incredibly distracting voice of Terraton – practically shouting – “Oh, if it isn’t the royal lady herself! Queen Toriel, what an epic surprise! What can I do for you on this  _ fine  _ day?”

“fuck.” Papyrus’ hand squeezes your own. “hun, we need to go.”

“Yeah.” You glance at the others. Alphys looks more than a little stunned. In fact, she seems to be shaking slightly. Undyne seems torn between looking over worried at you or Alphys. She makes eye contact with you, and you sharply nod towards Alphys. She seems to get the hint, placing an arm around the distraught lizard and murmuring something into her ear.

Still standing nearby, Jim is watching, confusion etched onto his face. He opens his mouth to say something, but after glancing back toward the entrance to the restaurant, decides better of it. Papyrus flashes him a quick grin. “gotta bounce again, jim.”

The wolf rolls his eyes. “Bones don’t bounce, Papy. Check the back corner, you can get out that way.” He eyes you closely again before giving you a wink. “Don’t be a stranger, stranger.”

“I’ll try not to.” You say, getting up with Papyrus. As you follow him toward the back wall, you murmur, “So much for a double date. I mean, what are the chances?”

“for the queen to decide now of all times to come eat? at this joint?” He shakes his head, ushering you into a back room. He’s moving sharply, obviously on edge. “i could run the numbers, but definitely slimmer than alphys falling in love with terraton.”

You let out a snort as he follows you into the… “Is this a storage closet?”

“it looks like it. but don’t be fooled, it’s actually a transporter,” Papyrus says, door shutting behind him. He wraps his arms around you, adding, “it’ll be a few jumps to get back. are you ready, captain?”

“Aye, aye.” The words barely leave your mouth before the drab closet around you fades to the caverns and red glow of Hotland. Papyrus teleports you both again, this time to the Riverperson. The remainder of the journey back home is filled with comfortable silence.

As you tell Sans and Chara how the dinner went, you get a text from Alphys that is solely made up of ‘A’s, followed by her saying she won’t be coming back tonight.

Well, at least something good came out of everything.

You think.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here we are, an un-fur-gettable night there. I'm glad I was able to finish this chapter before completely crashing from a cold/flu/college disease. Hope you all enjoyed!
> 
> P.S. Chronicdelusionist reminds me who the real pun master is (Hint: It's them.).
> 
> P.S.S. Onadacora continues to be a complete gem, and super supportive!


	41. The Blade of Justice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [ Onadacora's Original Fic ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/5053684/chapters/11621461) \--- [Chronicdelusionist's Comics](http://onadacora.tumblr.com/tagged/underswap-wtmyh/chrono) \--- [My Tumblr](http://darrelodin.tumblr.com/)

The shop in Snowdin is empty save for the shopkeeper herself when you enter. The warm orange glow of the lights, plus the recent addition of a sign saying “Welcome to the Snowdin Shop!” calms your nerves a little. And really, you shouldn’t have any nerves, right? The shopkeeper has seen you dozens of times and never even mentioned the word ‘human.’

With that comforting thought, you plaster your friendliest smile on and calmly walk over to the counter where your target of inquiry is going over some papers. “Anorta?”

“Yes, yes, that’d be me.” She says, looking up with an easygoing smile on her face. Anorta is wearing a purple tank top and a summer hat, oddly enough. You can see some grizzled patches on her fur, but other than that and some slight greying, you’d never be able to guess she’s an older monster. Moving aside her papers, she leans back and crosses her arms. “How can I help … Ah, I recognize you. You’re living with those wacky skeletons, aren’t you?”

You chuckle at that. “That’s me. They just couldn’t say no to my devilish charm. Or my adorable kid.”

“I see why he fell for you, then. And I thought that little tyke running about was yours. You’re doing well with that one. Polite! Always curious, too.”

“Thank you.” You really don’t know how else to respond to that. It’s not like you’re going to explain how you only started taking care of them these past couple of months. “Anyway, I was wondering if I could ask you some questions about the Underground. I’ve been reading up on history, but there are a lot of blanks in the books.”

She lets out a chuckle. “And who better to ask than a piece of living history herself, eh? Oh don’t fret, I know my age, dear. And while it’s just a number, it’s a mighty big one.” She glances at the door, then shrugs. “Been a slow day anyway. Upstairs, follow me.”

Anorta waves you behind the counter, opening a door and going in. She leads you up a set of stairs, humming all the while. It’s a calming little tune that you can’t quite place. It reminds you of being all warm and cozy by a fireplace. Too bad you haven’t seen one of those since Asgore’s.

“Excuse the mess. I keep saying I’ll clean up, but you know how that goes, I’m sure.” She says as she opens another door leading into what you can only assume is her living quarters. The faint scent of apple spice fills the air.

You nod, taking in the room around you. Old papers, their edges well-worn and crinkled, hang from the walls, as do numerous trinkets and baubles. Among it all, you almost miss the sheathed blade carelessly hiding amongst a collection of canes and umbrellas. There’s an old beat up off-color couch with its back toward what looks to be the kitchen, with a rocking chair and wooden stool sitting across from it. Everything here seems to have a story. “You have a lovely place up here.” You say, meaning every word of it.

“Why, thank you, dear. Come come, take a load off, and ask away.” Sitting on the couch, you open your mouth only to get interrupted. “Oh, would you like something to drink? Perhaps some carrot juice?”

You smile politely. “That sounds great, Anorta.”

“Back in a jiffy then.”

Looking around some more, you notice an old sign in the corner – or at least, what looks like a sign anyway. What you’ve come to recognize as the symbol of the royal family, the Delta Rune, rests on the center of it. Some sort of writing you can’t quite make out rests beneath it. You wonder what it could say. Maybe it’s some kind of order for the royal guard? Anorta was the head at one point, but that makes that paper absolutely ancient…

“Here we are! One carrot juice for you, and one for me,” Anorta’s voice startles you. She re-enters the room, a mug in each hand. You take the offered drink, having a sip. Yep, that is definitely carrot alright. Across from you, Anorta slowly leans down into the rocking chair, taking a deep sip of her drink. “Hmm, that hits the spot. Now then, your questions. How can this old cotton-tail help you?”

Shifting on the couch, you say, “I was wondering if you could tell me more about Queen Toriel.”

“The queen? Oh, she’s a wonderful gal. Why, I remember when I first met the rambunctious thing. Was barely taller than your little tyke.” She lets out a laugh. “Told me she’d win a duel against me.”

Well, that sounds familiar. “Did she?”

“Oh, did she ever. Eventually! After over two decades of training, you’d better believe that a boss monster like her would crush me. I’m just an old granny these days, so it might not seem like much, but back then? Oh, was it a sight.” She lets out a laugh. “’Course, nowadays I don’t do much of that. Much nicer having great-great grandkids to tell stories to. And speaking of stories,” She peers at you over the edge of her mug. “I’m sure your story is quite the interesting one.”

You decide that between being stared down by Jim the giant wolf and subtly assessed by Anorta the kindly old rabbit, you’d rather take the wolf. “Nah, I’m just a guy winning the non-existent hearts of skeletons.”

“Hmm, I don’t suppose being ‘just some  _ human _ guy’ would be some part of that?” Her smile is polite, but you get the feeling she is expecting something from you.

Better to come out with the truth with her. Anorta hasn’t ratted you out yet, so why not confirm it and stay in her good graces? “I sure hope not. I hate being wanted for my body.”

A laugh escapes the rabbit before you. “Ain’t it just the worst, sonny?” She calms down, wiping her eyes before fixing you with a slightly more serious look. “But I’d be a bit more careful of someone wanting you for your Soul. Or your kit’s. No one has asked any questions in a while, but going out to the Capital might get you some looks. And if you ran into the Queen herself, well…”

You give a short nod. “Wasn’t planning on it.”

“Good!” Her pleasant smile returns and she places her mug on her lap. “Now, you had some questions?”

You let out an internal sigh of relief. “Yeah, so the history books mentioned a king and-”

“A king? Yeah, we had one of those. Vanished a  _ long  _ time ago.”

“Do you remember his name?” You ask, lowering your mug to your lap. “None of the history books mention it, which is just weird. I mean, there’s an entire chapter dedicated to the plants grown in the capital!”

Anorta raises a hand, bending her ear in thought. “Well, the queen did write most of them. I take it she didn’t want to remember the old goat. As for his name, of course! His name was… Err…” She drops her hand and looks thoughtfully at the wall. “Hmm, can’t remember.”

You hold back a sigh. The disappointment must still be clear on your face, because Anorta wags a finger at you. “Now hold up a second. I might be forgetting something easy like a name now, but I still remember the important stuff. For instance,” She leans forward, hand cupped conspiratorially near her mouth. “The old king didn’t just disappear, oh no. He was exiled.”

You blink. “But, why? And when? Was it sometime after their children died? There’s mention made-”

“Woah there, slow down a little.” Anorta laughs. You lean back, looking at her expectantly as she shakes her head and takes a sip of her drink. Placing it on the table next to her, she smiles at you. “All of you young hooligans are the same, wanting to learn everything. Warms my old heart.”

“You don’t look a day over forty.”

What can only be described as a cackle erupts from the rabbit before you. “A charmer, I see. Your boney boyfriend better watch out; else you get snatched from right under his nose.” She wipes an eye, her smile warm and eyes still sparkling with laughter. “What do they teach you kids these days? Never mind, I probably don’t want to know. But  _ you _ want to know about an exiled king, eh?”

You nod, sipping from your carrot juice. It’s surprisingly good, you have to admit.

“Alrighty. So, like you guessed, it happened after the children fell down, but not too soon. There was time of grieving, and some time for talk, but then the king began to question whether the decision to go to war with humanity again was a good idea... From the look on your face, you don’t think it would be.”

Taken aback, you hesitate a moment before nodding slowly. “I mean, if the war had gone that poorly last time I can’t really imagine it’d go that much better a second time, even with a human Soul…”

“Oh lighten up a little, sonny!” She says, waving a paw dismissively. “I thought the same – still do, in fact, though I keep my mouth shut. No one listens to their elders these days! – but the Queen was having none of it at the time. She wanted a unified front, and the king couldn’t give it. I don’t know what the final straw was, but whatever it was, it was a big’un.”

Something doesn’t add up here. “Where could he have been exiled, though? No one except yourself and maybe the Queen might even remember there was a king.”

“Oh, that’s easy. The Ruins, of course! The two of them worked together on some sort of magic, I believe, or maybe they had some help? Meh, the door to the Ruins was trapped so it could only open from the inside.”

“That’s a pretty poor exile, then. I mean, the king could leave whenever he wanted.”

“Let me finish, ya scamp. As I was saying, it can only be opened from the inside, but this was because the king had wrangled a promise from the queen. He’d stay in the Ruins until the end of time, or until their people became free, whichever came first.”

“But, why?”

“That’s a great question!”

Anorta smiles at you, and doesn’t elaborate. You stare at her for a few moments as she calmly sips at her drink. Nope, nothing.

“And the answer?” You finally inquire.

She shrugs. “Oh, I have no idea.”

You both fall into a comfortable silence as you try to digest all you’ve heard. “Are there any pictures of the king and queen? Or even just the king?”

“If there are, they’ve either been burned or hidden by the queen herself.” Anorta says, shaking her head. “And believe me, it’s not for lack of trying. But the Queen requested it, so I did it. It was idiotic, and by God I swear it was one of the worst things she could have done, but it was her decision. I would never go against a royal order, nope, not ever.”

As she speaks, she stands up and moves towards that royal order you’d been looking at. Lifting it up, she seems to fiddle with something before pulling out a piece of paper. “Nope, I’m a law-abiding citizen.” She says, walking back and handing it off to you.

It’s a photo of four people; Two children, and who you can only guess are the king and queen. The human child stands out around the furry monsters before them, and for a second you almost see Chara there. You blink and peer closer, realizing that while they look similar, it’s fairly obviously not your child. But the resemblance is uncanny. Beside their calm face, you see a small goat-like creature – Asriel, you’d guess – leaning on their shoulder and laughing, flowers in their hands. Heh. Adorable kids.

The parents give you pause. While the queen is certainly recognizable – it looks as if she hasn’t aged a day from the modern photos you’ve seen – the king, that… That’s definitely Asgore.

The old man who helped you out, who wanted to keep you in the Ruins, was an exiled king? That… Well, at least you understand  _ why  _ he wanted to keep you back for so long. But now you really regret not at least attempting to call Asgore these past weeks. It’s slipped your mind, and… You didn’t really expect him to pick up. Would he?

“Really, it’s a wonder the Queen has started making the rounds again.” Anorta speaks up, tearing you from your thoughts. At your inquisitive look she explains, “She used to go out fairly often, but as the years have gone on she’s been out less and less, and not quite as far. Why, in the past year she hadn’t left the capital at all. I thought she’d lock herself up in her home at this rate.”

“Would you know why?”

She shakes her head. “I might be old, but I don’t know everything. And as close as we used to be, the Queen distanced herself from most after the King’s exile.”

Well, that’s a lot to absorb. You sip the last of your juice, unsure if the sudden question that has popped into your head is appropriate. Curiosity wins out in the end. “Anorta, what do you think of life down here? In the Underground?”

“Life here?” She looks at you thoughtfully, and goes silent for a minute. When she opens her mouth to answer, her voice is calm and flippant, but her eyes are focused on you. “Well, it’s a little claustrophobic down here, but we all know that freedom will come, one day. As long as we wait and hold onto that hope, we can grit our teeth and face the same struggles, day after day…” The old rabbit lets out a laugh, and shrugs. “After all, that’s life, ain’t it?”

* * *

When Alphys walks through the door that afternoon, you’re lounging on the couch with Chara on top of you, reading a book together. As Sans greets her, Chara wiggles themselves out of your arms and runs over to give the lizard a big hug.

When Alphys sees you leaning against the doorframe, she quickly coughs, a light red blush rising to her cheeks. “H-hey punk! What’re you up to? Have you trained yet?”

“Of course not. How could I without the coolest teacher around? But since you’re here, why don’t we go out for it, eh?”

“Can I come too?” Chara asks, and oh, they’re pulling out the puppy dog eyes. Well, unfortunately for them, you’d rather talk with Alphys alone on this one. And, you know their secret.

You squat down, wagging a finger at them. “Now squirt, I’d love to, but I seem to recall  _ someone  _ having a project. Now, did you finish it?”

Chara smiles at you, nodding. Turning slightly from the sink, Sans fixes them with an amused look before shaking his head at you. “WHY TINY HUMAN, I THOUGHT YOU WERE GOING TO WORK ON YOUR PROJECT BEFORE DINNER TONIGHT. THAT’S WHAT YOU TOLD ME AFTER OUR  _ SANSATIONAL  _ STUDYING LAST NIGHT.”

Chuckling at the dirty look Chara shoots at the short skeleton, you ruffle their hair. “Work first, kiddo. Don’t worry, I’ll come with you and Alphys for training this week, okay? Now get to that project.”

“Fine.” They grumble, trudging up over to the stairs. They don’t quite stomp up, but you know they’re a little annoyed all the same. You’ll make it up to them later with some chocolate.

“Well, punk? You coming or not?” Alphys asks, standing at the door. You grab your coat and follow her out.

Upon going outside, you let out a yawn. “So, we had a pretty  _ boring  _ night ourselves. How was  _ your _ night?” You ask, watching Alphys intently as she strides over to the other end of the ‘battlefield.’

“O-oh, uh, you know.” You should feel terrible, but it’s just so amusing to watch her squirm and try to avoid your gaze. “We watched some anime, punk.”

“And?” You ask, raising an eyebrow. You can see her blush darken from here.

“And, uh, we talked.” She half-shouts, voice picking up speed. “She needs maintenance too, err in her lab! You know, her first floor bathroom is still closed for some weird reason so I had to use th-the upstairs one and-”

You interrupt, waggling your eyebrows. “Did you order some food out? Get some fish tacos?”

Her hand slaps over her muzzle, and a whine-like screech erupts from her mouth. Your chuckles get cut short as your Soul appears before you and Alphys summons her axes. Okay, maybe teasing the lizard wasn’t the best idea before a sparring match, you think, quickly fumbling with Undyne’s device to put the green shield up before the first axe comes.

One long hour later, you sigh as you sink into the hot bath Papyrus had ‘totally-not-prepared’. (Though the skeleton himself is oddly not present. You really need to talk with him.) Your limbs are sore and achy from the cold, but you have to admit, a pissed off and mortified Alphys makes for a great workout.

Plus, it was hilarious.

That night, Alphys announces the news that by next week her house is going to be ready for her to move back home. Apparently, she and Sans are getting ready to finish up the last bit of work on the interior and replacing some of her furniture. Chara tries to act dismissive, but it’s clear even as they smile that they’re disappointed. Alphys picks up on it, however, and gives them an affectionate noogie, reminding them that the two of you are welcome over anytime. In fact, she  _ expects  _ both of you to be over often, and if you don’t she’ll come find you! Laughing, you reassure her that you’ll be sure to visit.

It turns out that your first visit will be for a housewarming party scheduled a week from today. That’ll be fun. Though calling it ‘housewarming’ is a little on-the-nose, considering the circumstances. An honest to God party isn’t something you or Chara had attended… Ever, really, so it’d be fun to partake in.

You realize it’s going to weird without Alphys staying on the couch, or watching her and Chara drawing on the kitchen table. You realize you’re going to miss having her around every day. You’re happy to consider her one of your friends.

And before you know it, her housewarming party is just around the corner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are, a chapter finally arriving! Hopefully you all enjoy; It's a little longer than normal to make up for the lost time. Next chapter should be right on schedule as well. A nice party to celebrate things, what's not to love?
> 
> P.S. Chronicdelusionist is super awesome, like seriously. Their pics have all the cool little details. 
> 
> P.S.S. Onadacora is super sweet and super cool y'all.


	42. The Party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [ Onadacora's Original Fic ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/5053684/chapters/11621461) \--- [Chronicdelusionist's Comics](http://onadacora.tumblr.com/tagged/underswap-wtmyh/chrono) \--- [My Tumblr](http://darrelodin.tumblr.com/)

You’d planned to talk with Papyrus about your conversation with Anorta that week, but between Papyrus vanishing to work late a few nights, and tutoring for school - apparently, there was a big test this week; you ended up running a free ‘open hours’ night just before it to help - you hadn’t thought about it. What time you did have together was spent just enjoying each other’s company or messing around with Sans and Alphys. You learned never to trust Sans’ innocent façade in poker. His bluff game was good.

On the day of Alphys’ housewarming party, thoughts of Anorta and Asgore are far from your mind as you try to come up with something to bring. Papyrus watches as you desperately rummage through the cupboards looking for  _ anything  _ quick and easy to make, an easy grin on his face.

Glancing back at him, you throw up your hands. “Okay, what’s the jape?”

“me?” He throws a hand to his chest, as if wounded. “jape the love of my life? what kind of boyfriend would i be if i did that?”

You cross your arms, smirking back at him. “A hilarious one. But let me in on the joke, hun.”

“i dunno, muffet gave ‘em over just for me. do i have to share?” His smile widens as you march over, only to have his cheeks flush when you pull him into a kiss. In the living room, you hear a ‘yuck’, signaling that Chara has made their way downstairs. Pulling back, you flash a grin as Papyrus gives himself a shake. “well, for somethin’ like that, i guess i can share.” He pulls a letter out of his pocket and hands it to you.

The letter reads, in immaculate cursive, ‘Heard about our Royal Captain’s new house. Congratulations to her! Here is a care package, in hopes she doesn’t burn it down a fourth time.’

Chara ends up looking up at you in confusion as you laugh while Papyrus watches. When you finish catching your breath, Papyrus is holding a large basket of assorted baked goods, plastic wrap tied off at the top with a deep purple (Or  _ violet _ , as Chara would correct you) ribbon. “Hopefully this lasts the party, at least.”

Changed, prepared with food and only slightly late, you leave for Alphys’. While you’d never been to her house before it burned down, the fact that it’s shaped like a giant lizard face does not shock you at all. A set of massive teeth make up what you think is the door. Your suspicions are confirmed when Chara darts forward to knock on them. After a moment, the teeth retract, not unlike a mouth opening, revealing Alphys.

Reminiscent of the night out last week, her scales are shining in the light. This weekend, however, she is wearing a shimmering dress. You have no idea when she had the time to clean herself up like this between preparing for the party and putting in last minute additions to the house, but she’s looking good.

Meanwhile, you’re feeling a tad underdressed. You know you’re clearly rocking your ‘nice’ jeans and a pressed button down shirt, but still. Looking past Alphys into the house, you can clearly see some monsters dressed a grade or two above you. You glance at Papyrus, taking solace in the fact that at least the two of you are underdressed together. Smiling back at the lizard monster, you gesture with the baked goods in your hands.

“There you two are! God, you two nerds took forever,” Alphys says, reaching out to take it from you. As she turns to lead you into the house your eyes are drawn to the scales revealed by her backless dress. Oh, you can’t  _ wait  _ to see what Undyne thinks of that wardrobe choice.

Chara pats your leg before calmly making their way past her and through the gaps between clusters of partygoers, most likely looking for Sans. Judging by the unmistakable, shouted greeting from the short skeleton, you’re right. You shake your head, chuckling. Not even a glance back to you. Ah well, they’ll be fine with Sans.

“Well no need to wait anymore, because the party can finally start.” You say, stretching an arm behind Papyrus. “Though if we’re really not wanted, I’m sure the two of us could just head back. I’m sure you know all about wanting some  _ alone  _ time, right Alphys?”

“Oh my God!” She shouts at you, and for a second you almost think she is going to throw your food back at you. Instead she fights down a blush and places it onto table full of other assorted food before turning around to face you. With a hurried wave, she says, “Hey, it’s my house! Let’s talk about it and all the  _ sweet  _ stuff in it instead, okay?”

“sure, if talkin’ children’s cartoons is sweet.” Papyrus shrugs, an easy smile on his face. You hold back your own grin as Alphys visibly holds back a scream.

“You know, what, whatever, DORKS. I’m going to go and be with my GIRLFRIEND, instead, then.”

You and Papyrus watch as Alphys leaves to rejoin Undyne where she’s sitting on the couch, looking surprisingly calm despite the noise and people around. You wish you had your phone out to capture the smile on the doctor’s face as Alphys approaches. She seems to almost hesitate a moment before she accepts the lizard monster’s inviting arms and half-stands into a hug. Papyrus brings you a drink as you watch the two monsters interact, interlacing his fingers in yours. “well, ‘cupid,’ looks like you shot true.”

You chuckle, smiling as Alphys leads Undyne over to a pair of sneaky looking monsters. “They just needed a little push.” You note smugly that Undyne is blushing as Alphys throws an arm around her waist and gives her a squeeze.

“more like a shove.” He watches them too, a softer smile on his face. Noticing your gaze, he winks. “come on, we’d better grab some food. i’d hate to ruin my appetite by eating dessert first.”

“Oh, and I was looking forward to sneaking out right now for some sugar.”

Laughing, the two of you grab some food from the buffet table and head over to where Chara and Sans are talking. They’re off in a corner of the room, munching on handfuls of cookies. You notice that some of the others monsters are casting Sans odd, dismissive looks as the short skeleton’s voice carries through the room. It reminds you of when you first met him, and he lamented over not having many friends. Now that you think about it, who does he ever spend time with outside you, Chara, Papyrus, Alphys and Undyne? Jim had mentioned him coming to the resort once, but he also made it sound like it had been a while…

Sans glances over at you and Papyrus as you make your approach, beaming at the two of you. Chara’s hands are suddenly cookie free, and they are all smiles as you raise an eyebrow at them.

“I know we said there would be chocolate, but that didn’t mean eating it for dinner instead of the food at the buffet table.”

Chara squints up at you before obediently placing their four (Geez, how did they fit them all in their tiny hands) cookies in your hand. “Fine.” They state with preternatural grace and superiority, stepping around you to do as you said.

“I SEE THE TWO OF YOU ARE LATE,” Sans notes, shaking his head and crunching a cookie between his teeth. “PERHAPS YOU WERE TOO BUSY CANOODLING TO CHECK THE TIME?”

You almost spit out your drink, much to Sans’ amusement. Papyrus appears only slightly better, with a massive blush on his face. “No! No, uh, I was just getting japed by Paps here.” You say, elbowing him lightly. “I hadn’t thought of what to bring for the party until this morning, and he left me running around a bit before revealing he had… Already bought something!”

“PAPYRUS!” Sans turns, scolding his brother with a laugh. “WHILE I  _ MUFFET- _ MIT YOU WERE SMART TO DO SO, JAPING YOUR BOYFRIEND IS NOT VERY NICE!”

You have to shape the words around in your head for a moment before the awfulness of that one sinks in and you grimace.

Papyrus, in comparison, only winces slightly to that terrible pun. “nah, it’s fine, bro. he got right back at me once he found out.”

“EVEN WORSE! YOU’RE A BAD INFLUENCE TOO!” Despite his words, Sans is holding back a laugh as he shakes his head. “IT’S A GOOD THING YOU BOTH HAVE THE  _ SANSATIONAL  _ SANS TO GUIDE YOU BACK ON THE STRAIGHT AND NARROW.”

“Sans, there is not a single thing straight about me.” You deadpan.

Both of the skeletons stare at you for a moment, before Papyrus starts groaning even as Sans lets out a loud “MWEHEHEHE! GOOD ONE, LARGE HU- ER, HUMOROUS FRIEND!”

Laughing at Papyrus’ obvious distress, you spot Chara finish putting together a plate, but instead of returning to the three of you, they go over to the two shifty monsters Alphys and Undyne were talking to a few minutes ago. You hesitate, considering if you should call them back. Chara seems to be having a good time, and the two monsters, a cat and alligator, seem to be laughing at something they said.  You’ve always enjoyed a good party, and there’s no reason to be afraid with your friends here, right? Anorta’s warning rings in your head again as you pick at the food on your plate.

Could one of the monsters here want your Souls? Even at the cost of your lives?

“hey, you done with that?” Papyrus asks you, gesturing at your paper plate. Geez, when had you finished all your food?

“Huh? Yeah, thanks Paps,” You say, giving him a (hopefully) winning smile.

You also seem to forget you’re trying to pull one over the  _ other _ master of the poker face. “you worried about chara, hun?” He says, taking the plate from you.

Your smile twitches. “Eh, just something I remembered from my talk with Anorta.”

“oh? well,” Balancing the plates on one hand and handing you his drink, he leans down to murmur in your ear. “when we get home, let me know, okay? if something’s bugging you, i’m here to help.”

You jump a little as his free hand gives your ass a squeeze. “as for now, just have fun, okay? be back in a flash.” His smile widens as you laugh and start to relax, waving him off.

You nod and he leaves you there holding both your drinks. You still have some left of your own, but you’re curious of just what Papyrus is drinking, so you take a sip from his. Woah, okay that has some kick. You immediately start coughing, unprepared for the burn. Shaking your head, you clear your throat and take in a deep breath. Geez, no wonder Undyne teased him for being a lightweight, if this is what he’s drinking.

“Hey, are you okay?” Undyne asks you, coming to stand with you and giving you a concerned look.

You nod, clearing your throat again. “Yeah, just took too much. I didn’t expect it to be quite so strong.”

“Oh, is Papyrus trying to show up Alphys again?” She lets out a sigh, nursing her own drink. “I keep telling him he can’t do it.”

You give Undyne an appraising look. She seems rather confident tonight, but her words catch your interest. “Has he always been like that?”

“Oh, Papyrus? He’s always been a bit of a goofball. But, he also had a lot prove when he was younger.” She pauses, one hand playing with the tip of her hair thoughtfully. “It’s odd, really. One day the energy seemed to just... fall away. He’s never really been the same...”

Well, that certainly is different from the Papyrus you know. “How did you two meet, anyway? I know he occasionally works in Hotland...”

She glances at you in surprise before murmuring something under her breath. Or maybe she’s speaking to you and you just can’t hear her. Speaking up, she responds, “He’s done work for Terraton, you know? So, sometimes I’ll have him come in and, well, work on some electronics I need help with. He’s really good with his hands.”

“Oh, I can definitely vouch for that.” You say, winking at her. Her cheeks only darken a little as she shoots you a glare. “See, that would’ve gotten at  _ least  _ a whine from Alphys.”

“Would it?” She seems to consider the thought.

“Yeah. You should’ve seen her when I mentioned fish tacos.” That gets you results. There’s a massive blush and jaw dropping stare. Laughing, you take another swig from your own drink. “Okay, that’s my quota for the night.”

“You have a quota?” Undyne not-quite screams at you. It’s kind of a shrill whisper. “You are just as bad as him, I swear to God!”  You shrug, not bothering to hide the smirk still on your face. After a moment, Undyne’s scowl fades to an exasperated laugh. “Despicable.”

“I believe the term is ‘endearing,’ Undyne. But wait, do you two talk or hang out outside of work? Papyrus never really mentioned you at all except in relation to Alphys before.”

She shakes her head, earrings twinkling in the light. “I’ll see him on my cameras, sometimes. Especially in Snowdin. He used to take all his breaks by that old door. He’s only gone a handful of times in the past few months though. Who could say why?”

There’s an awkward lull in the room as she finishes speaking, and you mull her statement over.You guess he takes his smoke breaks there? Undyne isn’t quite looking at you as she takes a long gulp from her drink. Something doesn’t add up here.

“i mean, where else can i hide my smoke breaks?” Papyrus says, approaching. You hand him his drink, accepting the arm thrown over your shoulder with a smile. “you know how sans gets about it.”

You elbow him good naturedly. “Yeah, and maybe I should join in on it, hmm? Don’t want Chara picking up any bad habits, now do I?”

“it’s too late for them. they’re already corrupted by my bro’s  _ terrible  _ taste in puns.”

You turn to Undyne and immediately blush at the knowing look she is giving you.

“Okay! Well, now that we’ve eaten, let’s have some fun! Someone’s gotta be the life of this party, and it’s not like it’ll be Terraton, right?” You say, looking between Papyrus and Undyne.

Undyne’s too-loud laughter is anything but reassuring.

* * *

After about an hour of mingling, you realize that whatever it is Alphys put in the alcohol, it is  _ strong _ . You haven’t had more than a drink and half of your choice, but Papyrus is already on drink three when he clearly starts feeling it. You’re surprised it took this long, to be honest. The light orange dusting his cheeks is cute, you think, as you tap him on the shoulder.

“Paps, you holding up okay? Need to get some air there?” You ask him.

“air is for the weak, hun.” He says, winking down at you.

You cross your arms, raising an eyebrow at him. “Oh, is it? Then why are you breathing right now?”

“no idea what you’re talking about. skeletons’re much further evolved than the likes of you, my good sir.” He says proudly, chuckling to himself.

You give a laugh, grabbing his drink from his hand. “Alright bone boy, you’ve definitely had enough. I’ll go grab you some water.”

“hey, waaait,” He says. Papyrus reaches around your waist, tugging you close against his own. You make a startled noise, holding your arms steady so the drinks don’t spill.

He leans down, teeth just in front of your lips as you close your eyes for the kiss… Only to shiver in shock as you feel his tongue lick the side of you face. You pull back, betrayal written across your face.

He has the audacity to wink at you. “gotcha.”

As you consider how to respond (You’re thinking by throwing his drink at him), a commotion near the door grabs everyone’s attention. You can make out a familiar voice as Alphys makes her way over. You glance over at Undyne, who seems to be sweating bullets suddenly. Welp, three guesses who it could be and the first two don’t count.

You don’t have to guess long. The door barely opens before an obnoxious blast of music invades the house, overpowering the much calmer sounds that had been playing. “Alphys, my dude! Congrats on the sweet new pad, it’s as weeb as ever.” You can hear (somehow) over the ear-pounding music. Alphys is brushed aside by Terraton as he wheels in.

You spot a vaguely familiar pinkish shape floating by the robot, looking around with their one visible large, circular eye. They seem to be eyeing everyone anxiously. Wait, that’s the ghost monster from the Ruins! What are they doing here with Terraton?

“Yes, hello my dudes! Glad my uber pal Hapstablook and I could arrive and  _ really  _ get this party started!” A glance at Alphys tells you that this is certainly not a-okay with her. But considering the cheers rising from many of the monsters around you (Sans’s voice is quite loud among them), she can’t really turn him away. Hapstablook seems to get a deer-in-the-headlights look, which is impressive and worrying.

Terraton is quickly swamped by fans, though you see Hapstablook edging their way out. You also notice Papyrus has vanished, but a quick glance reveals he’s made his way to stand around Chara. Hopefully he doesn’t fall on them.

They make a break to the corner where you are standing, a flash of recognition in their eyes. “Oh!... Hello there.” They say in a barely noticeable wispy voice. They’re holding themselves up but aren’t quite looking you in the eyes. “I remember you from the Ruins!... Oh, that was a while ago...”

“Hapstablook, right? Yeah! I never did get a chance to thank you for watching over Chara.” You shoot them a charming smile.

“Oh… Well, it was nothing, really…. After all, they were so kind to me… And determined to hear me sing…..” They shake a little as the room breaks into laughter over something. “I was actually invited to come by, but I couldn’t bring myself to. Then Terraton saw me and shouted about not seeing me for a while…”

You blink. “You know Terraton?” You ask. Admittedly, they did come in together, but still.

“Yes… Though, I didn’t know him until today either… At least in person! But he said he knew I wanted to sing and act… I don’t know how he did… The only monsters who knew were my cousins, but they’ve all left…” They bob slowly in the air, and you feel a cool breeze as they seem to sigh. You try to give a supportive smile. “But Terraton is such a star! And he asked me to come in to the party with him, so... well…”

It’s surprising to think Terraton would pick up a random monster and immediately be so supportive of them. Or know some apparent secret about them. He’s never struck you as considerate. “Well, that was nice of him. Though, I get the feeling this party is gonna last a  _ bit  _ longer than Alphys expected now.”

“Oh… That’s right, isn’t it...? Sorry……. At least we all can listen to Terraton’s newest album...” You suppress a shudder. Sans had been playing it nonstop all week, and if you hear “I’m The Electric Hero” one more time, you’re going to break something. “I also meant to talk to Chara too, to thank them. They were so nice… And-”

“Oh, Blooks, you chattin’ up the cool dude too?” Terraton interrupts, wheeling over. At least he didn’t say ‘human.’ “Man, you are such a great guy, chillin’ with my awesome… New bud! Like this.”

The honesty in his voice surprises you, and you can’t help but be amused by Hapstablook’s clear embarrassment. But why the hesitation? “Well, they’ve helped us out before, and we haven’t -”

“You helped out the hu – ah, huge bro right here? Oh, Blooks, that’s incredible!” Somehow the robot’s arms are actually hugging Hapstablook, which surprises both you and the ghost monster.

As they try to stammer a response, you see Papyrus stumbling over. He shoots Terraton a glare before smiling brightly at you. Oh God, Papyrus is definitely drunk now, his cheeks flushed orange and swaying as he stands next to you. “hey, hun? you ready to blow this popsicle stand and grab dessert?” He says, throwing an arm around you… As well as his entire weight. How can a skinny bundle of bones weigh so much?

Heaving him back onto his own two feet, you wrap an arm around his waist. “Hey Paps. You know what, it’s been a long day. Why don’t we get going, eh? Dessert can come tomorrow.” You glance around for Chara, breathing a sigh of relief as you see that Alphys and Undyne are with them.

“Oh, already, dude? That’s the pits. You sure you can’t stay any longer?”

“Yeah, I know, but the squirt has a test at school tomorrow, so you know how it goes.” You say quickly, before Papyrus can shout something about dirty boom-boxes. Or whine about not getting ‘dessert.’

By the time you return home, both you and Papyrus are exhausted. As you feel yourself falling asleep, you realize you meant to ask Papyrus about Anorta and Asgore. Eh, that’s a morning problem. 

Right now, you’re content to just fall asleep in his arms. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I said it'd be delayed but it looks like you're getting it mid-week! Man, this was also a long one, huh. Hope that makes up for the delay a little bit. With my finals approaching, the next few chapters will also probably be facing some turbulence, but fear not! The writing shall continue!
> 
> P.S. Chronicdelusionist continues to be the real star of this writing show.
> 
> P.S.S. Onadacora is such an awesome person, like seriously y'all.


	43. Phone A Friend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [ Onadacora's Original Fic ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/5053684/chapters/11621461) \--- [Chronicdelusionist's Comics](http://onadacora.tumblr.com/tagged/underswap-wtmyh/chrono) \--- [My Tumblr](http://darrelodin.tumblr.com/)

The next day, you awaken feeling refreshed and comfortable. Beside you, it appears Papyrus is still out cold. A glance at your phone tells you the two of you are nearing that dangerous ‘oversleeping’ time, however. You smirk at the soft groaning sounds Papyrus makes as you slowly shake him awake.

“Got any magical hangover cures hidden around?” You laugh quietly at the louder groan you get in response. “Well, let’s get some food into you then. Up, Paps, up.”

“no, this skeleton is ready to be put in the closet.” A moment passes, and he waves his hand at you weakly. “no, don’t make the joke. or tell sans, it’d be terrible.”

You shake your head, pulling yourself out of the weak grasp of his other hand. He slowly drags himself up alongside you at the silent response. “what’s up, hun?”

“I wanted to talk to you about the stuff Anorta told me. Before we forget because everything gets busy again.”

He lets out a yawn, stretching his arms lazily. “shoot.”

“She told me about the Queen. Apparently, she was once like a lizard we both know.”

Papyrus chuckles, shuffling a pillow behind his back. “our refined royalty, challenging random strangers to boulder-lifting competitions? or is she big into cartoons?” 

“Kind of, at least on the first part. Jury’s out on the other one.”

“that’s hilarious.”

“It does sound pretty funny.” And terrifying, you think, but maybe that’s just because you wouldn’t want to be on the receiving end. In either case. “She also found it odd that the Queen had actually gone out to the hotel. Apparently, she’s been slowly holing herself up more and more in New Home.”

“well, it is a bit odd.” Papyrus admits, cupping his chin. “i hadn’t seen the queen in person since well before you two came. maybe a year ago?” He shrugs. “still, she could just be busy.”

“I suppose. It’s just weird, you know? I guess rumors of humans could be a reason to get out.”

“all the more reason for you two not to go further than undyne’s. or even alphys’.” He looks pointedly over at you. “the two of them are technically right under her. she’ll probably visit them at some point.”

“She hasn’t yet, right? I’m sure it’ll be fine.” You say with a laugh. As you calm down, you remember last night. “Hey, did you catch what Undyne was saying last night?”

Papyrus waves his hand lazily. “eh, just that last bit. why, she talk about the queen too?”

“So, she mentioned some things about you. Like how you used to be more active, and how you take breaks near the door in the forest a lot.” Papyrus isn’t quite meeting your eyes. A cold feeling spreads through your chest. “Papyrus?”

“just had some shit happen, ya know?”

You grimace. “Paps, come on. You don’t need to-”

“i’ve been talkin’ to asgore since you came.”

You slowly close your mouth. The room is silent, the only noise the faint creaking as you shuffle slightly to face Papyrus better. Taking a breath, you ask, “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“asgore had asked me not to.” He looks back at you, his usual smile nowhere to be seen. “he… has his reasons, i’m sure, but he didn’t want you to know. i had planned to tell you, and ask if you would be willing to talk to him soon.”

“Oh.” You manage to plaster a smile on your face. You don’t feel like you’re doing an especially convincing job. “Well, that’s considerate of you. That’s fine.”

Papyrus watches you carefully. “is it?” He says slowly.

“’Course.” You shrug. “It’s not like you were stopping me from talking to him, after all.”

That’s the truth. You’ve had access to his phone number the entire time, yet never called. It was entirely your prerogative. Not even Chara ever brought up calling Asgore, as if it never crossed their mind either. Are you going to really get mad over this, and just to start another fight? You need to think calmly about these things. You don’t… You don’t need a fight right now.

Papyrus is still looking at you hesitantly. You shuffle closer, throwing an arm over him and flashing a big grin. “Seriously, Paps, it’s... Fine. Sure, I would’ve liked to know, but it’s whatever. Not like you can’t help me talk to him now. Actually…” You eye him thoughtfully. “How long  _ have  _ you been talking to Asgore?”

“…six months or so? maybe longer.” He admits, slowly letting himself lean into your side. “i sorta happened upon the door during a ‘totally-not-smoke-break’. i… well, i was chatting to myself about, oh, everything, when a deep voice spoke up. ‘i am very sorry to hear that,’ he said.” Papyrus gives you a wink. “needless to say, i almost fell over in shock. a talking purple door? what’ll they come up with next?”

You chuckle, relaxing against him. Downstairs, you can hear faint noise from the television and some clattering. You guess Sans and Chara are up already. “How did the talking door respond to that?”

“well, it admitted to japing me, saying it was just a normal monster who happened to be behind the door. i haven’t seen any proof myself, so i still harbor hope to this very day.” Papyrus responds, raising one hand in a vague attempt at a fist pump.

“So, what have you told him? About us?”

“yeah… i thought i could get him to leave, but he got all ‘no, no, he wouldn’t want to see me.’”

“I mean, if I’d known he thought that I would’ve told him to his face, er, door that he was being dumb.”

Papyrus winces at that. “sorry, hun.” You don’t really know what to say, so you just give him a squeeze instead. “i haven’t told him about you being chara’s father.” He adds. “i thought it’d be better for him to hear it from you.”

“Thanks.” You lay back, trying to gather your thoughts for a moment. “... You’ve tried to get him to leave? How many times?”

“buncha times. but it’s always the same response. he says he’ll consider it, but say no or not bring it up ever again.” Papyrus shrugs, letting out a sigh as he hugs you. “i think he doesn’t want to bring himself to care.”

“Well, someone who keeps asking about the two of us clearly still cares.” You say, pulling yourself away and walking toward the drawers. Pulling clothes out, you say, “Why not go knocking on his door?”

“he might get scared off, hun.”

“Well, how about this, then. I call him around lunch while you’re on break, leave a message, and if he doesn’t respond,  _ then  _ I go bother him with you?”

Papyrus throws himself down onto the bed. “oh no, more time with my boyfriend. how will i survive?”

“Probably by japing me when my back is turned.” You respond, pulling up your pants.

“nyeheheheh.”

* * *

_ Today is a good day _ .

Asgore isn’t entirely sure why he still keeps his diary these days. It’s the last thing of his that he hasn’t locked away out of sight, and yet it’s the one thing that still leaves him feeling numb right down to his Soul.

He writes in it anyway. Asgore writes of the flowers he has grown and cared for, the monsters he has healed and taught – He hopes that Loox has been doing better since he talked to those bullies, he really must ask them about it – but never of himself.

Leaving his home, Asgore whistles on his walk to one of the numerous gardens he has planted. It’s calming, to lose oneself in a task such as gardening. There’s something right in being one with the nature around and growing something with one’s own two hands. He tries to avoid using magic with it, though a little encouragement hardly goes amiss. The feel of the dirt on his fingers, and the grass beneath his toes… They keep him centered.

Something is distracting him from his normal peace of mind, however; some faint buzzing noise is at the edge of his hearing. What could it be? He didn’t leave the oven on, nor did he take a timer with him…

After a moment, Asgore realizes the buzzing is coming from his pocket. He pulls out the clunky old phone he’d used ages ago – Centuries ago? Immortality leads to a horrid case of forgetfulness sometimes – and stares as it vibrates in his hand. Who could possibly be calling him?  

And then a familiar voice starts to speak from it.

“Hello Asgore! It’s been a while, hasn’t it? Sorry about that. Life since Chara and I left has been…” There’s a pause, before you chuckle to yourself. “It’s been interesting. Well, I’m sure you’ve heard a lot about it from Pa – Huh?”

Asgore’s fingers are twitching over the phone as your voice becomes faint. Should he pick up? He said he’d stop once the two of you left. And yet he still asked his friend about you both. You’d made your decisions and he’d… He’d been too weak to keep you here. Or even go with you. And yet the temptation is always there, even with the memory of his promise…

“Fine, fine,” His attention snaps to your voice as it comes through. “You’ve talked with your  _ door buddy _ about lots of things. But I wanted to talk to you. And I’m sure Chara would like to as well.”

He remembers Chara’s smiling face and the image another child from long ago flashes, with a son he lost right beside them.

He could never really say no to a child.

* * *

“Hope to hear from you soon.” You finish, finger moving toward the end call button as you resist the urge to sigh. You aren’t sure what you expected, really. After all, you did leave the old monster behind. Maybe he never wants to hear from you again, just hear  _ of  _ you. Papyrus looks at you across the table, ready to open his mouth and probably console you when the both of you are startled by a sudden voice.

“Golly, hello, young one.”

You blink in surprise, smiling at the almost bumbling deep tone. “Hey Asgore! Nice to finally hear you again.”

“And you as well, young one.” The warmth gives way to confusion. “But, what is the meaning of this call? I thought that I mentioned not to contact me, after you left.” There’s no anger in his voice, only curiosity. The anxiety fluttering in your chest calms a bit at that.

“I’m trying to learn more about the history of the Underground.”

“Oh! Well, that was never really my specialty… Though I suppose To- The Queen would not be a good resource.” He goes silent on the other end.

Papyrus is watching the phone in curiosity, an unlit cigarette in his teeth. Maybe you should start working with Sans on breaking that habit of his. You’re pretty sure skeleton monsters can’t get lung cancer, but still, there must be some sort of cost for using a literal death-stick to look and smell sexy. You don’t even like cigarettes, damn it! Darn sexy skeletons. Darn Pavlov.

“But, why would you wish to, ah, talk with me, then?” Asgore’s voice comes out, guarded.

Oh God, even if you didn’t already know the truth, that sounded suspicious. “Well, you mentioned you were old, but I didn’t quite realize how old you were until I visited Anorta. You look great for whatever age you are, you know? Don’t look like you’ve aged a day.”

Papyrus lets out a snort and you hear a surprised murmur from the phone. “You are too kind, young one. But, I was sure she had burned all of those.” You hear a chuckle. “Well, Anorta always was a teacher first, and captain second. Though only now is her lesson bearing fruit, I suppose.”

“I’m not exactly in the position to attempt a lecture, especially over the phone, but I would be happy to help you in the future, young one. But, have you been treated well? Is Chara all right?”

You let out a snort at the change in topic, smiling over the phone to Papyrus. “I’m pretty sure your door buddy has been leaking all of that to you, but I’m doing great. Chara is as well, between school and their new friends and home.”

“I am glad that my ‘door friend,’ as you call him, could make the two of you feel welcome enough to consider this land your home, young one. I knew I had placed my trust in the right monster.”

Your smile softens as Papyrus rubs the back of his neck self-consciously at the praise. “Yeah. You really did.” You shake your head and sigh. “Hey, Asgore, it would be nice to see you again, you know. I mean, you never did get a chance to tell Chara about all the flowers you’re growing.”

“Oh, I would like to as well. However, I cannot. You’ve spoken to Anorta; I am certain you know something about why it is that I am here.”

Papyrus looks meaningfully at his wrist as Asgore speaks. You glance at the clock and almost groan. It’s already well past the end of Papyrus’ break, and as nice as it is to have him here and to be talking with Asgore, you had chores you’d promised Sans you’d do before he got back today.

You clear your throat and speak up. “I know you might not be sad living in the Ruins, Asgore, but are you happy? I don’t know what you hope to accomplish by staying there, but understand that there are people over here on your side.” Papyrus shoots you a thumbs up. Thanks for that moral support, Paps.

“I… Shall consider your words, my friend. But for now, I must go. Thank you for the call, young one.” Asgore pauses. “I do hope to hear again from you soon. Have a lovely day.”

“Of course! And you too.” You say, just before the phone clicks.

The rest of the day goes by in a blur. In the few quiet moments you have, however, you can’t help but reflect on your conversation that morning. When you think about it, he never actually answered your question about his past. … Is Papyrus still hiding something from you? 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And as predicted, another delay. One more shall occur, as my final projects are due this coming week (and with finals just after). But then the summer begins, and I shall have more time!... At least until work begins. Hope you enjoyed the chapter!
> 
> P.S. Chronicdelusionist is totsmcgoats the best ever.
> 
> P.S.S. Onadacora is super cool and an awesome friend.


	44. Talking Shop

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [ Onadacora's Original Fic ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/5053684/chapters/11621461) \--- [Chronicdelusionist's Comics](http://onadacora.tumblr.com/tagged/underswap-wtmyh/chrono) \--- [My Tumblr](http://darrelodin.tumblr.com/)

Papyrus takes Chara to school in the morning, giving them a hug and sneaking a little chocolate bar into their bag before he leaves. Giggling to themselves, they give him a wave before going inside to join their classmates. It’s still early, so everyone there is talking and playing. The teacher greets them from her desk, and Chara gives her a polite smile.

"Yo, Chara!" Suzy calls out, swaying back and forth in their best approximation of a wave. They run over to meet Chara by the door and end up tripping over the corner of a desk, but Chara catches them around the shoulders before they fall. "Thanks! That was awesome!"

“You’re welcome.” Chara says, wagging their finger at them. “You should really be more careful.”

“Yeah, I know, right? That’s what _everyone_ says,” Suzy says, shifting from foot to foot and rolling their eyes. “But that’s old news! I wanna ask you about new news. You know, if you’re okay with me asking, because maybe it’s somethin’ you don’t wanna talk about and –”

“Suzy, you can just ask.” Chara says, placing their bags down.

“Okay, okay!” They still hesitate another moment, waiting for Chara to give them their full attention. “Uhm, so is Papyrus your dad? He’s always walking you to school and stuff, and I’ve seen him with you and your dad a lot. He even kissed your dad in the middle of tutoring once.”

Chara smiles politely at them, trying to ignore the sudden silent presence in their mind. “No. He’s not.”

“Really? Huh, then who _is_ your dad? Or your mom?”

“I don’t know. I never met them,” Chara says, shrugging. They hadn’t really thought much about their missing parent before, but now that Suzy has brought it up they start to piece together an idea.

“Huh,” The armless monster says, unfazed. “Well, there’s something going on with Papyrus and your dad, right?”

“That’s called dating, Suzy.”

“Well, duh. What else do you call that gross grown up stuff?” Suzy responds, rolling their entire head along with their eyes in response. They look ready to say something more, but before they can, the teacher stands up from her desk and claps her hands together to silence the room. “Okay everyone, good morning! Let’s take our seats, because I need to tell you about Queen Toriel’s visit to the school next week before we get started with class!”

Chara is grateful for the interruption, but the reprieve from Suzy’s questions only lasts until lunchtime. The moment they’re allowed up from their desks Suzy is at their side again, following them to the cubbies where they keep their lunches.

“Yo! Chara, what if, since Papyrus and your dad are dating, Papyrus can be your _other_ dad? He does all that cool stuff with you two all the time, he’d definitely want to. And that’s what happened to Ginni!” Suzy says, grinning and nudging Chara with their shoulder as they snatch up their lunch between their teeth. “Wood’n dat be cood?”

Chara picks up their own lunch, looking down at their name in thin, jagged letters in marker. They have no problem recognizing Papyrus’ handwriting, not after weeks of seeing it in the margins of their scrap paper while working through sums together. He’s been there for the two of you like no one ever has before, and Chara’s gotten used to it. His help with homework, acting out scenes from their favorite books together before bedtime, seeing you happier than they’ve ever seen you before…

Chara smiles. “Yeah, I think that would be a great idea!”

* * *

“You talked to Asgore and didn’t tell me?”

News of your call with Asgore does not go over very well. When Chara came in, setting down their school supplies, you’d thought you would surprise them with the news. The fact that they will be able to talk to him in the future doesn’t seem quite so important to them when they missed a chance already. They’re giving you the stinkeye from their vantage below the counterline as you prepare dinner.

“Well, we didn’t want to get your hopes up if Asgore didn’t pick up, squirt.” You say, gathering a handful of carrots to slice. Turning, you give another apologetic smile. “Will you ever forgive us?”

“…Fine. You’re forgiven.” They let out a ‘humph,’ crossing their arms and looking away. “I wanted to talk to him too.” They mumble.

You let out a chuckle. “Thank you, Chara. And hey! You mentioned Queen Toriel was visiting next week, right? We can call him while you’re home ‘sick.’ How’s that sound?”

“yeah, kiddo.” Papyrus pipes up, poking his head in from the living room. “i’m sure the old man will love hearing from ya.”

“Okay…” They mumble, scrunching their nose up. You think they mumble something under their breath, but seconds later they’re looking up at you hesitantly. “Hey Dad? I can ask you anything, right?”

“’Course, squirt. What’s up?” It’s odd to hear them hesitant about asking you anything.

Chara glances back at Papyrus, who is still poking his head in from the living room, instead of walking in a sitting down, the dork. They look back at you, biting their lip. “I wanna talk to you alone,” Chara mumbles.

“i can take a hint,” Papyrus says with a laugh, vanishing away.

Curiosity piqued, you look over at where Chara is sitting. They motion over to the seat next to them. Whatever it is they want to talk about, it has them nervous enough to make this ‘formal.’ Or as formal as a six-year-old can be. “You can ask me anything, you know that,” You say.

For a moment, they seem to be working themselves up to asking. “Now that I know you are my dad,” Chara starts, speaking slowly and carefully measuring their words as they look into your eyes. You try to keep a welcoming smile on your face, but internally you’re already tensing for the question. “I was curious. About who my mother is.”

You lick your lips and take a slow breath. You really don’t want to say something wrong, or make Chara think they’re doing something bad for asking. You just had hoped, well, they wouldn’t? It was dumb of you to even think that. “She… Well, her name is Veronica, to start,” You say, and it feels weird to tell Chara about her. But it’s history, right? Just rattling off some facts. “She’s, well… It’s been a while since I’ve talked to her. Was there anything you really wanted to know?”

“So she’s still alive?” Chara asks, looking up at you with curiosity in their eyes. You nod, already expecting the follow-up question. “Why don’t I know her?”

Okay, danger zone. You know whatever you say, they’ll take to heart. Better to be honest, right? It would be wrong to keep this from them. “Well, she got pregnant with you when the two of us were pretty young. And she did not… She didn’t want a family, and she wanted to have her own freedom. _He_ convinced her parents to…” How do you tell your child you almost never held them? That some other parents would have taken care of them… That Chara could have wandered from family to family like yourself for years? It’s difficult to keep the bitterness out of your mind.

Chara is still looking up at you with patience and curiosity in their eyes. You hesitate. No, you can’t. Maybe… Maybe when they’re older. “To let me take you in instead, since she didn’t want to be, uhm, distracted. But that’s not your fault! You hadn’t even been born yet, and it will _never_ be your fault, okay Chara? She made that decision on her own.”

Chara seems to mull this over, fingers reaching up to cup their necklace. You rub your neck, unsure of what to fill the silence with. You don’t want her to be some ‘demon’ in Chara’s eyes. Veronica… She was in a tough spot. _And it was your fault._

“So she didn’t want to be with us.” You snap back to meet their eyes. It’s definitely not a question. Chara is confirming it for themselves, as if committing it to memory. They don’t sound sad, or upset, and you’re not sure if that’s a good thing or not.

“Right, you’re right,” You say, getting off the seat a kneeling down so that Chara is slightly over you. They look down at you, brow furrowed as you grasp their shoulders. “But that’s her loss, isn’t it? Because there isn’t a greater kid anywhere in the world.”

Chara smiles, cheeks blushing considerably. “You’re really cool too, Dad,” They mumble, bashful. They give a little shake, and look at you with a calmer expression. “But Papyrus _does_ want to be with us. Does that mean he can be my other dad then?”

You can’t help but just stare in response. How do you answer this? Would Papyrus even want to be… Oh God, would the two of you get married? Does Papyrus want that? Do you want that? Would everything work out? What if there was another fight, and the two of you really broke up? He wouldn’t do that to you, would he?

Chara is still staring up at you, waiting for a response. You take a deep breath and smile for them. “Chara that’s… Well, it’s not that simple,” You say, rubbing their shoulders slowly.

“Why not? If my real mom decided she didn’t want to be my mom at all, why can’t Papyrus be my other Dad instead? Reggie has two moms, so why can’t I have two dads?” Chara’s smile has tightened a bit, their eyes narrowed as watch you.

“Well, that’s something he and I would need to talk about, you know? It’s a big responsibility being someone’s parent,” You say, feeling the weight of Chara’s gaze on you.  “But, I could certainly talk to him about it.”

God, you were not expecting this curveball today.

“So… A maybe then?” Chara asks you, unable to keep out a glimmer of hope out of their voice.

You nod. “Is that something you’d like, Chara? For Papyrus to be your dad?”

Chara squeezes their pendant, nodding. They suddenly wiggle themselves out of your grasp and fling their arms around your neck. You fold them up in your arms, cradling them against your chest as you rest on the ground. You rub circles into their back as they squeeze you. How long have they really been wondering about this?

“I do,” Chara says, their voice muffled between your two bodies, pressed close. “I wished, a while ago, with Sans… Back in Waterfall. That the four of us could be a family. And if Papyrus was my dad then Sans would be my uncle! And we could all be happy together.”

God, wouldn’t that be nice? You hug Chara tighter, taking a slow breath. Isn’t that what you want too? Someone who loves you and wants to be with you and your child? Can you really make the jump to something like that so quickly? It’s only been two, almost two and a half months since you started dating Papyrus and just shy of three since you even _met_. It took you almost a year to even start dating Veronica.

“I’m going to ask Papyrus.” They say resolutely, and you feel your heart jump in your chest as they start to peel themselves away from you.

“Woah there, squirt! We should just keep it between us for now, okay?” They look up at you, confusion etched into their face. “I mean, you don’t want to just throw this onto him, right?”

“No… But I want to know now.” They say, a determined look on their face. “Papyrus loves you and he loves me. Isn’t that enough?”

* * *

What the fuck had Papyrus walked in on?

He hadn’t meant to come in at an awkward time. He had just thought the two of you had been done talking, not in the middle of… Of… Discussing that!

_Dad._

He’s sitting in Muffet’s, far from the couch he should have stayed on. He’d taken a shortcut straight onto his bar seat and hadn’t moved from it. He knows questions like that were bound to come up eventually. Things had been progressing so well between the two of you, and Chara is a smart kid. Of course they’d think to ask something like that. But right now? At least you seemed blindsided by it too. And he’d never heard a ‘no’ from you, but that didn’t mean a ‘yes’ either. Did you explain things because you didn’t want to upset the kid, or because you didn’t want to make that choice for him? He would never know, not unless you talked to him like you said you would.

Does he want your answer to be yes?

He’d be lying if the thought didn’t scare him. He’d killed, _killed_ , Chara. Hundreds of times. He’d taken care of them hundreds more, or watched over them as they stayed with Alphys, or Undyne or any of the countless monsters they managed to befriend. And now… He’s started to love Chara. It might have been weeks since he’d realized that losing _both_ of you was a frightening thought, but was he really parent material?

He didn’t think Chara thought about him that way.

Sans would be so excited. He could already hear his ecstatic voice now: “YOU’LL BE A _SANSATIONAL_ FATHER, PAPYRUS! AFTER ALL, YOU HAVE MY EXCELLENT NURTURING SKILLS TO RECALL!” Papyrus lets out a snort. Yeah, his bro would be so excited. A family, becoming an uncle, and getting a brother, all in one fell swoop? What more could Sans want?

What more could _he_ want?

“If you broke that sweet boy’s heart again, dearie, I’m going to sic my pet on you.”

Startled, Papyrus almost jumps out of his seat at Muffet’s voice. She’s fixing him with the patented glare she usually reserves for his drunk nights, but after a moment she seems to notice something in his face and softens. “What in God’s name are you doing here, Papyrus? My spiders tell me you just appeared. They said you’ve been sitting here for the past ten minutes.”

His eyes widen and he quickly checks his phone. Shit, had it really been that long? He’d only meant to calm down, clear his head a little bit. “i… i needed to get away from the house for a little.”

“And why’s that, hmm?” Muffet asks, hands moving underneath the bar. “Do I actually need to bring out my pet?”

“no, no you don’t.” Papyrus says with a shudder. “i… the kid was asking to speak to their dad alone, so i let them be, ya know? i just wandered back a couple of minutes later, thinking they were done. and they weren’t.”

“Eavesdropping? Tsk, tsk, you know that’s how you get into trouble.” She shakes her head, handing him a glass of water. “I take it neither of them noticed you?”

Papyrus shakes his head, taking the drink. “he was facing away from me.”

“So what were they discussing that made you turn tail and run?”

“i wasn’t running.” He retorts quickly. Too quickly, if the smirk on Muffet’s face is anything to go by. “i… needed to think. chara was asking him if i could be their other dad.”

Her eyes, all of them, widen, arms clasped in delight. “Well dearie, that’s absolutely adorable. Oh, I need to give that child some sweets next time they come in.” She waves a hand. “Oh what am I saying, you can do that when you go home. It was the chocolate éclair that they enjoyed, wasn’t itt?”

Papyrus stares back at her. “i’m a mess, muffet. i don’t know if i could ever do a good job for them. he and chara, they deserve so much.”

“So the éclair then. On the house, of course,” Muffet says, clapping. A handful of spiders scurry towards the kitchens. Planting two hands on the bar, Muffet lets out a sigh. “Papyrus, I have known you for a long time. And you are a good monster, with a big heart.” She smiles playfully at him. “I don’t know about you, but a certain someone with a collection of eight-legged family would never be here in Snowdin if not for you.”

Papyrus scoffs. “you would have found some way out here. you’re resourceful.”

“And I know the ‘Librarby’ would have been without power for _ages_ if not for a mysterious benefactor fixing the generator.” She continues ignoring his response.

“okay, enough with the rumor mill, muffet.” He says, taking a long swig from his glass. His cheekbones are burning. “next you’ll be telling me about a good place to stuff the dust.”

“In the pie, dearie. They’ll never even taste it.” She’s responds calmly. He almost coughs up his drink, much to her amusement. “But Papyrus, you shouldn’t worry about yourself. If he cares enough to wait to talk to you, he clearly thinks you’re important.”

Placing the glass on the bar, Papyrus sighs. “but how can i give them an answer? how can i be sure?”

She glances past him toward the door as it opens up. The sound of the royal guard dogs barking echoes inside. “Well, I suppose that’s the question now, isn’t it, dearie?” She says, looking pointedly at him. A spider crawls over and starts pulling his now empty glass away, replacing it with a little packed set of éclairs. “But you aren’t getting your answers in my establishment, now are you?”

She leaves him with that, pulling out a notepad as she moves to greet the dogs. As Papyrus sits there, he wonders if he could say yes to being a… A _Dad._

He wants to. But, do you?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew, only a week late. I apologize again, but this should be the last delay for a while. I only have one final left, and I am not super worried about it, so woohoo! I hope you enjoy the chapter, it was a lot of fun to work on. 
> 
> P.S. Chronicdelusionist going beyond the pale to amaze me with sweet art.
> 
> P.S.S. Onadacora is super cool you guys. Show her some love!


	45. Down in the Dumps

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [ Onadacora's Original Fic ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/5053684/chapters/11621461) \--- [Chronicdelusionist's Comics](http://onadacora.tumblr.com/tagged/underswap-wtmyh/chrono) \--- [My Tumblr](http://darrelodin.tumblr.com/)

“Alright, I’m gonna leave this in the oven to stay warm for a while. Just let me know if it beeps, okay squirt?” You shift the heavy stock pot full of soup on the rack in the oven, making sure the lid is in place before turning to Chara.

Chara is sitting at the kitchen table, worksheets spread out in front of them as they scratch away determinately with one of those brightly colored pencils that Papyrus let them pick out. The more expensive ones that you had tried to cover, but Papyrus had beat you to it.

You’re sure there would be a lot of people who’d have some choice words for how much Papyrus and Sans have taken care of you and Chara. And that’s ignoring the whole “You’re fucking a skeleton! And a man!” thing. But that doesn’t matter – you’d be nowhere without them. No money, nowhere to live, and honestly, outside of the Ruins, you’re not sure what you and Chara would have done in the Underground without them. You’d like to think you’d be able to survive, but the fight with Alphys proved that idea wrong. You’re not bitter or frustrated about how much the skeleton brothers are helping, though you wish Papyrus would let you pay for a book every now and then. You’re incredibly thankful. They’d accepted you as one of their own without a second thought. They’d loved the both of you. Treated you like…

Like family.

You lean over and ruffle Chara’s hair, earning yourself a half-hearted protest. “You stay here and finish your homework. Just holler if you need me,” You say.

“Okay, Dad.”

Papyrus is in the living room, looking calm. Almost ready for you. Oh no, he didn’t listen in, did he? You think there’s a glimmer of sweat on the side of his skull, but when you blink it’s gone.

He loves you, but is something like this, a full commitment, really what the two of you want? Or are you even ready for it yourself? The last time you cared about someone, you... Well, you fucked up, and they left. But Papyrus? You don’t want to think he’d ever do something like that.

But he could.

Papyrus watches you hesitate a moment, a calm look on his face.“Hey,” You say, finally pulling up a smile and approaching him on the couch. Papyrus smiles back at you, lifting a purple bag from beside himself. “Whatcha got there?”

“hmm?” He blinks down at his lap in surprise. “oh, muffet is funding chara’s sweet tooth now.”

Your chuckle sounds a little forced, even to yourself. “Of course she is. When’d you buy ‘em?”

“didn’t.” Papyrus hesitates, before patting the spot next to him. “really. she wanted to give the kid a little gift on the house.”

“God, they’re gonna get a cavity at this rate.”

“what is that?”

You blink in surprise. Of all the kinds of monsters, you’d imagine the one made of literal bones would know what a cavity is. Though it’s not really bones, right? It’s _magic_. “Oh, well when a person doesn’t treat their teeth right, like by eating too much sugary food, their teeth can slowly rot.” Papyrus sockets widen, and you quickly backpedal. “Uh, not that it should happen. We’ll just cut down on the sweets a bit, okay?’

“that’s terrifying. gonna scare my heart out of my rib cage, hun.”

You scoff. “Papyrus, you don’t have a heart.”

“insults too? oh, my love is lost from me.” He says, throwing a hand across his forehead. “however can i live in a world where my love terrifies and insults me?”

His grandiose motions and words send you into a fit of laughter, and as you catch your breath you see him smirking at you. “feel better?”

“Yeah, just amazed I caught such a great guy like you.”

An orange tinge rises to his cheeks. “eh, more like i got lucky to have you. and chara.”

“The both of us, hmm?” You look away for a moment. “I, uh, don’t know how to really approach this, but-”

“i promise, i’d answer chara the same way i’d answer you. unless you were asking my hand in marriage. i’d have to tell the poor kid my soul is already taken.” He clutches his chest as he finishes. Man, he’s in a really flashy mood today.

“You were listening in, weren’t you?” You chuckle to yourself as his cheeks brighten slightly. He nods, not quite looking you in the eyes. At least he’s honest. “How much did you hear?”

He lets out a breath. “only up to when the kiddo wanted to run in and flip my world upside down.”

“I stopped them before they could.” You murmur, looking him in the eyes. “I didn’t want you to feel rushed or pressured about this. But, I promised I’d ask. I want to make sure that… That this is something you want. That we’re something you’d want.”

Papyrus’ head tilts, his smile softening. “hun, of course i’d want the two of you,” He says, reaching out with his free hand to cup your cheek. “no japes here.”

You let out a tiny laugh, the twisting feeling in your chest that you didn’t even notice loosening up. “Great,” You say, leaning forward to press your forehead to his, rubbing your thumb over the back of his skull. “Because I don’t know about Chara, but I know I’d be a mess without you.”

“well, no need to worry about somethin’ like that, hun. i would never leave the two of you. i’ll even make a promise.” Papyrus nuzzles your forehead, looking into your eyes. “i promise… to protect you and chara as best i can.”

“So formal.” You let out a laugh, unable to stop a silly grin from rising to your face. “But Paps, are you sure about that? It’s a big step.”

You expect another jape, something to distract you from the question. But instead, his cheeks darken even more with that adorable orange as he leans down, tilting so he can meet your lips with his mouth. A kiss for your sake. “i love you. i love you, and i love chara. and, i, uh, well. that… that came out a bit more permanent sounding than i meant.” He lets out a weak chuckle, falling backwards onto the couch with you still in his grasp. He seems so shy in this moment, yet so confident as he adds, “but when we’re both ready? i’ll be there. for both of you.”

You didn’t think it was possible, but somehow your heart swells with even more love than before. Your smile is so wide it almost hurts as you give Papyrus a hug. “That sounds like a pretty sweet deal to me.”

* * *

It’s nice going to school in the Underground, Chara thinks. For one, the school here doesn’t have a really long, hard to spell name that needs to be written at the top of every assignment like on the Surface. It’s just called ‘The School.’ Classes are mostly interesting, and the teacher doesn’t shout if someone isn’t paying attention. And, more importantly, the other kids are actually fun to be with. No one mocks them here, and if any of their friends – they’d never really had a friend besides their at-the-time brother before – made them feel uncomfortable, they’d apologize after and mean it. Monsters are so much cooler than humans, Chara decides.

The little voice in their head agrees with them, and they’re not quite sure how they feel about that.

Today after school, Chara is walking with Suzy and a Frost Drake named, rather appropriately in Chara’s mind, Frost, to take pictures of the Echo Flowers at the border of Waterfall. Frost can be a little snobby at times, but he likes Chara’s puns so he’s okay by them.

“So Waterfall is nice and all, but the coolest part of it? The dump. The dump is so cool! I heard, that’s where Alphys goes to train sometimes.” Suzy makes a face, ignoring how they almost trip as they twirl around in the snow. “And ‘pick up girls?’ I heard her shouting that once. Her workouts must be _so_ intense.”

Chara shrugs, keeping their hands in their pockets. “Well, that’s great. I can’t go past the border check, though.”

“Why not?” Suzy asks.

Frost shuffles a little next to them. “Yeah, you’re not afraid, are ya? There’s nothing even scary there!” He lets out a little ‘caw’ that Chara vehemently refuses to admit is cute. “Except for Alphys.”

“My dad asked me not to. He doesn’t want me wandering off too far.” Peering at the other monsters, Chara frowns. “And aren’t you both in trouble with your parents for hiding in the woods last week? Alphys caught you then too.”

Frost lets out another caw and looks away, while Suzy shrugs. “So? Hey! Doesn’t Papyrus have a station over here? He can take us _and_ do his patrol at the same time!” They smile brightly at Chara. “I’m a genius.”

Chara sighs. “If he’s there, I will ask, but the answer is going to be no.”

“Sweet! You’re the best, Chara.” Suzy says.

“I thought I was the best.” Frost squawks.

Chara lets the two of them banter back and forth, biting their lip over what they’ve been asked to do. It wouldn’t be so bad to ask, right? Papyrus promised he’d be there for you, and for them. And Chara trusts Papyrus. He gave his word.

_“Words mean nothing.”_

“I know that. After all, you’re all talk.” Chara snaps back under their breath.

 _“A person’s word means_ **_nothing_ ** _.”_ It vehemently answers, words echoing in Chara’s head.

Chara flinches. “Hey, are you okay?” Suzy asks.

“Of course! Just remembered some work I need to do later.” Smiling as brightly as they can, Chara continues walking forward. ‘What do you have against Papyrus anyway?’ They think, slowly.

 _It’s not Papyrus. It’s…_ The voice seems to hesitate, much to Chara’s surprise.  _When someone says they’ll be there for you, they’ll either fail… Or take it much further than you ever meant. In the end, everyone is disappointed. Actions are the only thing that matter, and that skeleton has made his actions clear._

Chara doesn’t respond, letting the conversation between Suzy and Frost distract them. Tugging at their scarf they finally think, ‘You’re weird.’

They get the sensation that the voice rolled their eyes at them. _Fine, be that way. Hope you enjoy being told what to do for the rest of your life. I just wanted to give you some excitement before you get stuck inside for a week._ Something like a sneer enters the voice. _Or maybe it’ll be longer, since M- the Queen is getting suspicious._

Why is it that the only time the voice actually speaks a bunch is it wants to be petty? Walking into the cavern signaling the beginning of Waterfall, they can’t help but wonder if, maybe, the voice might have a point. And as they walk up to Papyrus’ station – by themselves, because their friends don’t want to distract them - Chara can’t help but wonder about their words. They’re not really wrong about this. What if the Queen does lots of visits? Would they be stuck in the house forever?

“what’s up, kiddo?” Papyrus asks, smiling at them from his seat. Wisps of smoke dance around his skull, but there isn’t any sign of a cigarette.

Putting on their biggest, most ‘aww’ worthy smile, Chara says, “Papyrus? Can you take us to the dump?”

Papyrus blinks down at Chara, a frown forming on his face. “no can do, Chara. thought you and your dad agreed not to head out too far.”

They rub their shoulder, glancing back at their friends. Suzy gives a supportive smile, while Frost just scoffs, looking away. They look back to Papyrus, inching closer and cupping their mouth. “I know, but I’m going to be stuck in the house every day next week. If you’re around, I’ll be safe, right?”

“that’s true, kiddo…” He looks over Chara’s head, presumably at their friends for a moment, then shrugs. “you know what, i’ve gotta go on a patrol right about now. be a shame if some kids started following me around.” With that, Papyrus starts walking away, deeper into Waterfall.

Suzy runs up and starts hopping up and down excitedly. “Oh my gosh, I called it! You are the best, Chara!” They give a side tackle to them, almost knocking them down. “Ooh! We can sneak after him! Like we’re training to be in the guard! Come on!”

Chara giggles, smirking back at Frost. “Come on, don’t be scared.”

Following behind Suzy, they try to ignore the feeling of satisfaction in the back of their head.

* * *

“Hey, so you’re gonna have to pull Chara out for a week, alright?” Alphys’ voice echoes from your phone. “The Queen is doing her usual rounds, and apparently decided to do a lesson for all the schools.” You hear her let out a massive groan. “ _And_ she’s gonna want patrol reports, which is the WORST.”

You are lying on the couch, with speakerphone on as you read through your latest ‘librarby’ check out – a collection of monster short stories. They’ve all had fairly uplifting endings, even if the stories themselves might have some depressing topics.

“Yeah, Chara mentioned the Queen was stopping by. But Papyrus said it shouldn’t be an issue keeping Chara home for the week.” You answer.

“You knew already? Then why’d you have me explain it all?”

You grin to yourself. “Because I knew you would.”

“Never mind, you are the WORST! You and Papyrus are just made for each other, I swear. I bet you’re even smirking right now like he does.”

“Don’t worry, you’ll start picking up Undyne’s habits soon too.” The door opens, the groaning of your boyfriend bringing a softer smile to your face. “I’m gonna have to let ya go, Alphys. Chara and Paps just got back.”

“Fine, you NERDS have fun!”

With a shake of your heard, you close your phone and stand up, stretching. “Now, who could that be?” You call out.

“just your favorite two people in the world.” Papyrus’ voice responds.

You tilt your head. “I thought Sans still had work.”

Chara snickers as they enter the living room, Papyrus walking in behind them with an overly affronted look on his face. “why i never. cheating on me? with my own brother?”

“I mean, come on, Papryus. He is the greatest, after all.”

Chara tuts at you. “No Dad, he’s _sansational_.”

Papyrus shakes his head, shooting you a look. You sigh. You completely walked into that one. Your nose upturns at the odd scent filling the air. It’s not unlike rotted fruit. Pulling back, you notice that Chara’s snow pants have some odd stains on them. Chara is looking up at you, a wide smile on their face. Oh no, they did something, didn’t they.

“Hey, you doing alright there, squirt?” You ask, kneeling down to be at their height. “Busy day?”

They sniffle, looking groggily at you. “Yes! I played with Suzy, and Frost and, we took pictures today… And walked around a lot.” They declare, though even their admittedly quiet voice sounds softer.

You move to rest your hand on their forehead, only to mentally smack yourself. They were just outside in Snowdin, they’re going to be freezing. You instead ruffle their hair, earning yourself a tired glare. Papyrus snickers at you. “Well, you seem all tuckered out then. Why don’t we get you all cleaned up, okay?”

You notice the smell is still around, even as Chara walks away. Watching them until they go into the bedroom to grab some clothes, you turn to Papyrus. “So, I’m not going crazy, right? There is a smell in here.”

He shrugs. “must be from waterfall.”

“Waterfall.” Sweat starts building at the side of Papyrus’ head. You glance up at Sans’ room and sigh. “Let’s discuss this in the bedroom, okay?”

Papyrus nods, and follows you on foot. You start feeling a cold feeling rise in your chest. He said he’d protect them, and nothing is wrong with Chara, so it’s fine. But… You can’t help but be annoyed. Opening the doorway, you step into the room and cross your arms.

“So, why exactly did you let Chara go to Waterfall again?” You ask, trying to keep your voice calm.

Papyrus slowly pulls the door closed to give the two of you some privacy.  “the kid visited me at my checkpoint today. told me they had an assignment to grab pictures of the echo flowers but wanted to explore further in. and since they’re gonna be stuck indoors for the next week, they wanted to have a little fun with their friends. so i took them on patrol with me. you know, get their mind off things,” He explains, shifting his hands into his pockets.

Yet he doesn’t let you go even with him these days. “And where did you all go? Alphys’?”

“took ‘em treasure hunting at the dump,” Papyrus says. You don’t respond, not quite sure if he’s japing with you or not. “really, that’s all. it’s not even too far into waterfall, practically next door to alphys’ place.”

You hold back a massive sigh, but from Papyrus’ confusion it’s clear the neutral expression on your face is cracking. “Papyrus, you don’t send kids to a garbage dump for fun.”

“why not?”

Is he for real? “Paps, that stuff has been rotting away in there for God knows how long! Who knows what moldy crap is growing in there?”

He looks at you carefully. “i didn’t realize that could be bad for anyone.”

“Paps, you were rummaging through literal garbage. I can hardly imagine the smell, let alone stepping through it.” Voice rising, you scrunch your nose up reflexively. “And even if there wasn’t any, there might have been glass, or rusted metal.”

“is that really a problem for humans? sans and i went through the dump all the time, and no other monster we’d met has ever gotten sick or anything because of it. or hurt.” He looks at you, a small frown on his face. “and i was there anyway. i wasn’t going to let anything happen to them.”

“I know that! But you, ugh!” You groan, letting your hands fall to your sides and stare at him. “And of course it’s dangerous. Why wouldn’t it be?”

“monsters wouldn’t really get hurt by stuff like that.” He answers, twiddling with an unlit cigarette between his fingers. “all they’d need is a shower.”

You shake your head, groaning. “No, I mean, ugh, yes, that’s magic bullshit, but what do you mean, Sans and you went to the dump all the time?”

Papyrus shrugs, stepping over to the bed and patting the spot next to himself as he sits. The cigarette is mysteriously missing as he throws an arm around you when you sit next to him. “yeah, monsters in general scavenge in there all the time. anything we couldn’t afford to buy, we’d try to find in there, like old phones, mattresses, blankets, markers, the kitchen sink-”

“Okay, you’re definitely messing with me on that last one.”

He shoots you a wink. “you got me. it was only half of one.” The smile falls a little as he turns away. “but we… for the underground, the dump is our way of learning more about the surface. most of the books at the librarby and the store are from there. even some of the stuff at terratons’ is just refurbished trash.”

From what you read, it all makes sense. And should you have been so shocked? If it’s something the monsters do all the time – and you’ve known this, of course the kids want to do it too – then what’s the harm, right? But, why would the brothers have gone so often? There had to be other things to catch their attention.

As you open your mouth to ask, there is a knock at the door. “Dad?” Chara’s voice calls out, softer than before.

“It’s open, Chara.” There’s a click, and then they are walking in, holding their pajamas. “Hey squirt! You’re gonna take your bath, right?”

“Yeah. I feel kinda tired though. May I please sleep in tomorrow?” They say. Looking at the two of you, Chara beckons you over. When you get close, they whisper, “Did you ask yet?”

“Ask…?” Your eyes widen. Right. The talk, glancing back at Papyrus. Right, where he promised he’d protect the two of you. But wouldn’t protecting include not letting your kid get put in danger in the first place? That angry feeling just won’t go away, especially with that smell of the dump still on Chara.

Taking a breath, you look back at Chara and nod. “But don’t say anything yet, okay? Just keep it quiet.” You whisper. Louder, you say, “And sure. It’s the weekend, anyway.”

Your heart twitches at the genuine smile that rises to their face. “Okay! I love you!” They say before running back out the door. You sigh, standing back up and facing Papyrus.

“is chara alright? they’ve always been an early riser.”

“Maybe they’re just tired. They’ve been running around a lot lately, and with all the excitement, I’m sure they just need to rest a bit.” You give him a look. “Plus, since they were running around the dump, apparently, they’re probably exhausted.”

Papyrus doesn’t quite meet your gaze. “yeah, yeah. i messed up.”

Fuck, you just can’t let this go, can you? You don’t want to be an asshole... “I really don’t mean to rag on you, Paps, but please. Humans aren’t invulnerable. We just like to pretend we are.”

He doesn’t respond, and for a couple of minutes, just holds you next to him in silence. “we’re alright, right?” Papyrus murmurs, his gaze focused on the door. His expression is unreadable.

You let out a sigh, sitting down next to him and giving him a squeeze. “’Course we are, Papyrus. Of course we are.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are, a chapter of fun and excitement. Oh, and some minor squabbling, but I'm sure it's fine. Also, I'm fiiiinally on break, and man, I've forgotten what sleeping in was like. Anyways, I hoped you all enjoyed! If any of my readers are mothers, happy mother's day to you! I hope this was a wonderful day for you!
> 
> P.S. Look at that little Chara. Just, gosh, Chronicdelusionist did such an awesome job with this one. As always. I just wanted to point out that picture again. Look at it! And the adorable monster children in the background.
> 
> P.S.S. Onadacora is also super incredible, yo. Also, it's Mother's Day, so happy mother's day to an awesome mom!


	46. Feeling Faint

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [ Onadacora's Original Fic ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/5053684/chapters/11621461) \--- [Chronicdelusionist's Comics](http://onadacora.tumblr.com/tagged/underswap-wtmyh/chrono) \--- [My Tumblr](http://darrelodin.tumblr.com/)

Chara is not okay.

Sans comes to get you in the middle of the night, because Chara is coughing and he’s worried. The sound is rough and wet and has you pretty sure it isn’t just a cold. When you and the skeleton brothers go back to Sans’ room, they’re sitting up in bed with the comforter wrapped around them, looking at you piteously and failing to breathe through their nose. They look up at you through bleary eyes as you reach out to feel their forehead, and you’re unsurprised to find that they’re hot to the touch and sweating. Fuck, it’s a fever, isn’t it?

Chara attempts to draw a breath through their nose again, but instead let out a horrible squelching sound until they give up and swallow.

“Dad? Everything hurts.” They say, voice low and raspy. 

“Okay, squirt. Stay strong? We’ll get you something to make you feel better,” You say, rubbing their back gently. They look so small, buried beneath all these sheets. As you lean down to kiss their clammy forehead you hesitate, realization dawning on you as you pull back. “We have some medicine in the house, right?” You turn to look at the two skeletons waiting at the foot of the bed. Sans gives you a slow shake of his head. “A thermometer, then?” Papyrus shakes his head as well.

You give Chara a smile and get up to whisper next to the brothers. “Do either of you even know what I’m talking about? Do you know what Motrin is? Advil? Tylenol?” You ask, searching Papyrus’ face.

“no,” Papyrus says, glancing back at Chara as they start coughing. “i could check the shop for some, though. i’m sure anorta wouldn’t mind for an emer-”

“I’ll check in the morning when she opens,” You say, turning back to Chara. God, they look so tired, their eyes straining to look at you. “It’s nothing too dangerous, just a fever. We can handle a fever,” You add, trying to reassure Chara and Papyrus. And yourself, too.

“Dad…” Chara whines, coughing again and swaying slightly. You quickly rush next to them, pulling them to your chest. Each loud, hacking cough and gag makes your heart twist painfully. You wrap your arms around them, stroking their back until it subsides. “I’m sorry…”

“Ssh, it’s okay Chara. This isn’t your fault.” They try to speak again, only to fall into another fit of coughs. You rub their back until it subsides, and as they catch their breath, you say, “I think we still have some tea downstairs. Alphys said it’s very soothing, would you like some?”

At their nodding, you wrap Chara up in the comforter, grabbing an extra blanket from the foot of the bed. You can’t remember whether bundling them up is good or bad when it comes to a fever, but you’d rather keep them warm than let them freeze.

Papyrus disappeared when you weren’t looking, and you think you can hear the distant sound of the kitchen faucet. Sans watches the two of you as you head for the door.

“WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO HELP? YOU’LL NEED TO BE RESTED IN THE MORNING, AFTER ALL.” He says, reaching out and touching your shoulder.

You grasp his shoulder, giving him a comforting squeeze, and throw on a smile. “We should have it from here, Sans. You should go to sleep for now; you’ve got work in the morning.”

Sans watches your face carefully, a frown on his face. “ARE YOU SURE? I WISH TO MAKE SURE MY LITTLE FRIEND HERE IS  _ SANSATIONAL,  _ AFTER ALL. I CAN LOSE A LITTLE SLEEP.”

“Sans, you already get less sleep than the rest of us.” Chara starts coughing again, and you wince. You shift them slightly in your arm, trying to make them more comfortable as you look at Sans. “Papyrus and I can handle this for the rest of the night, but if something does happen in the morning, I’d like someone here to be well-rested.”

“…I UNDERSTAND,” He says, pulling away and crossing his arms in front of himself. Then he adds, in a rare hushed tone, “But, please, let me know if I can help. I’ve had experience taking care of people.”

“Of course, Sans. Goodnight.” Man, it always throws you off when he lowers his voice.

You make your way downstairs, get Chara settled on the couch with a Disney movie (Pocahontas, unfortunately, but it’s the first thing you grabbed), and go into the kitchen to check on Papyrus. He’s stone-still, just staring down at the kettle with his shoulders hunched. You can see the guilt written all over him, weighing on his back and leaving even darker bags under his eye sockets. As you enter the kitchen and tiredly rub your eyes, he robotically turns his head and straightens to look at you. His teeth are clenched tightly, the corners of his jaw pulled down into a grimace.

“i messed up big time,” He says. His tone is empty, and it scares you.

You close the distance and reach out for him, but he doesn’t even react as you grab his arms. No, you are not dealing with a sick child  _ and _ a boyfriend shutting down (Especially when he might not have been if you hadn’t been so  _ adamant  _ to shout at him yesterday about it). You tug him into a hug, staring right into his eye sockets. “Yeah, but you also didn’t know,” You say, giving him a squeeze. “Don’t shut down on me, okay? You gotta stay strong, for Chara… And for me.”

Papyrus watches you, and for a moment you think he might actually give up on you. But then he’s trying; trying so damn hard to give you a supportive smile. “’course, hun. love you two too much not to.”

“I love you too,” You say, before wrapping him up in a tight hug. He slowly relaxes against you, and the tight feeling in your chest you’ve had since you saw him in here starts unwinding. Pulling back, you smile at him. “Go sit with Chara. I’ll make sure the tea is just how they like it.”

A few minutes later you join the two of them in the dark living room, carefully passing Chara a steaming mug and setting a box of tissues on the couch beside them. You settle yourself between them, slowly rubbing circles into their back as they lean heavily into your side and sip their tea. With a tired and weak contented noise, they take another sip.

“‘S tastes just like chocolate,” They mumble, voice thick.

“Well, you like that, right? You’ll try and drink all of it, right?” You didn’t find any tea, so you made hot chocolate instead. It might not be really good for them, but it might help them feel better. You hope.

“Yes, Dad.” They start coughing and you reach to steady the mug, worried that they're going to spill hot ‘tea’ on themselves. As Chara’s tiny body seizes against yours and goes stiff with each hacking cough, you rub soothing circles into their back. Worry tightens in your chest and you feel Papyrus touch your shoulder in an attempt to comfort you.

Chara finishes their drink by the time Jamestown is built, and Papyrus takes the empty mug, tucking it on his other side in the couch cushions. Their cough is a bit better, but not much. With a weak, pitiful groan, Chara crawls into your lap and tucks their head under your chin. You wrap your arms around them, holding them close and swaying back and forth. Their coughing subsides and slowly they feel heavier against your chest.

The film is the only noise in the room for a moment, before you speak up. “I hate this movie.”

“hun?”

“It looks great, it sounds great, but it’s so inaccurate.” You shake your head. “And really, it’s the lead up to a bunch of terrible things happening to people who didn’t deserve it, all in the name of greed.” Why does your voice sound off? “It’s like how the monsters were thrown Underground. All because some stupid humans just  _ had  _ to get worked up over things.”

“hun,” Papyrus says gently, pulling you closer. “that’s in the past. it doesn’t matter now.”

“I know, I know. I just need something to focus on.” You let out a shaky breath. “Everything is going to be okay, and I just need to stop thinking about right now.”

You feel him nuzzle your forehead. “here, just try and get some sleep, okay?” He coaxes you to lay against his chest and you let him, shifting to find a comfortable spot. Papyrus gently lifts Chara into a comfortable position in front of you.

Closing your eyes, you will yourself to try and do as Papyrus says.

* * *

They might have a literal kitchen sink on sale, but the rabbits do not stock over the counter medicine.  The best you can do is grab some ingredients for chicken noodle soup and a message of well-wishes from Anorta.

You text Undyne on your way back from the store. ‘Hey, do you carry any medicines to reduce fevers? Chara’s sick and we’re not quite sure what it is.’

There’s a small delay, and by the time you get back to the house Undyne has responded in a series of texts. 

‘Oh no!’ 

‘When can I come by to check on them?’ 

‘What is a fever? It sounds bad.’

You stare at the screen blankly as you set the bag of groceries down on the kitchen counter, only just resisting the urge to shout. Instead, you take a deep breath and slowly type back. ‘As soon as you read a human medical book or something so you know what you’re doing.’

Roughly shoving your phone in your jacket pocket, you pull out a cutting board to get to work. As you’re quickly slicing away at some celery, Papyrus appears at your side. You’re so distracted you’re not sure if he walked in or ‘took a shortcut.’ It doesn’t really matter.

“i take it the store didn’t have anything?” He asks after a moment of observation.

You shake your head. “I even tried asking Undyne, to see if maybe she had anything, but she doesn’t even know what a fever  _ is _ . Don’t monsters get sick at all? You or Sans mentioned it once.”

“it’s different for us. magic-”

“It’s always fucking magic! Why can’t magic fix this, huh?” You shout, turning to look at Papyrus. He suddenly grabs your arm, worry on his face. You look down, and the sharp words you were about to utter die on your lips. You’d been about to slice over a couple of fingers. Considering how roughly you’d been doing it, you could’ve chopped them off, just like that. You look back at him, tired. “Sorry, I’m just… There’s no easy fix. And it seems like everything is just so much harder because we’re human.”

Papyrus pulls you away from the counter, hugging you close to his chest. “i know, but it’s not your fault. and if undyne can find out what it is, maybe she can whip up some magic-cocktail that can fix them after all.” He glances down at the counter, then smiles back at you. “i’ll take care of this, okay?”

You need to do something. You can’t just sit here when your little one is sick and not  _ do  _ something. But Papyrus is looking at you, worried, and considering you nearly cut yourself, maybe you should listen. Nodding, you let him take over, stepping out of his hold. “How’s Chara?” You ask, moving around the island toward the seats.

You check your phone as you sit down. Undyne responded, ‘Uhm yeah. No problem, I should have one or two lying around.’

‘Thanks.’ You type quickly.

“sleeping again. they finished some breakfast and i got’em tucked back in sans’ bed.” Papyrus says.

You nod, letting the sounds of the knife slicing into the carrots fill the room. “Good. Sleep is probably the best thing they can do right now.”

* * *

Chara’s been asleep for a few hours and you’re starting to worry. It’s lunchtime, and you know they need to eat something, even if it’s just more soup. As you start walking up the stairs, you hear a sudden crash from Sans’ room. Your heart leaps in your chest as you run the rest of the way. Slamming the door open, you see Chara on the ground, some of Sans’ spaceship figures scattered about the floor. You hear wheezing coming from Chara.

“Chara? Chara!” You rush to their side, turning them over and lifting their head. They’re still burning up at your touch, and as you move them back to the bed they don’t seem to notice you. Every breath sounds painful for them.

“Chara, it’s me. It’s your Dad,” You say, stroking their face. They groan, eyelids flickering but they don’t seem to see you. “Chara? Chara, speak to me.”

“I can’t…” You hear, their lips barely moving. “Need to… To try again.”

You lean closer, but all you can hear is their wheezing. They go limp against the pillow. Adrenaline is racing through you and you feel a chill run down your spine. Your own breathing is picking up and you’re just staring down at your child, desperately trying to think of what you should do. If only you could call a doctor, or take them to some hospital! But no one even knows what a fucking  _ fever  _ is, let alone whatever is wrong with your kid!

“what happened?” Papyrus’ voice calls out from the stairs.

“Chara’s passed out,” You call out, wracking your brain for something,  _ anything  _ you can do to fix this. Maybe something to cool them down? You know some of those history books you’d read mentioned home remedies, but you have no idea if they actually worked. “The only thing I could get out of them was gibberish about needing to try again.”

You hear a crash behind you. Papyrus is standing there, a look of absolute terror on his face, a bowl of soup broken at his feet. “what?” You don’t think you’ve ever seen him so scared, not even when Alphys was attacking.

He’s at your side a second later, kneeling over the bed and reaching for Chara’s face. The similarities in the pale white of his bones and the washed-out color of your child’s face makes you want to scream, hands clenching into fists at your sides. “chara? chara, come on kiddo, this ain’t funny. you can’t just… just let go that easily. please,” He says, shaking his head. He looks over at you and you realize orange tears are pooling at his eye sockets. “they were sleeping perfectly fine before. they were just tired.”

He sounds almost hysterical. You cannot handle him breaking down right now, because fuck, you’ll just start too. “Papyrus. Papyrus!” You pull his hand back, trying not to let your voice crack in fear. “Go downstairs and grab some washcloths. Run them under, uh, cold water, okay? Bring them back up, and I’ll show you how to place them on Chara.”

“will that lower their fever?” He asks, a desperate tinge to their voice.

You nod. “It’s the best chance we have. And… I’ll call Undyne. She’s the only one I think that can help.” You’re back on your feet again, pulling away and fumbling for the phone in your pocket.

Papyrus lets you, his attention falling back at Chara for a moment. As you flick through the menus on your phone, you hear him murmur, “please, kiddo. you’re so much more determined than this.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I only write fluff. #angstwhatangst
> 
> P.S. Chronicdelusionist is wonderful and always has super kind words for me.
> 
> P.S.S. Onadacora is a gem, and such a great person.


	47. Determination

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [ Onadacora's Original Fic ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/5053684/chapters/11621461) \--- [Chronicdelusionist's Comics](http://onadacora.tumblr.com/tagged/underswap-wtmyh/chrono) \--- [My Tumblr](http://darrelodin.tumblr.com/)

Undyne and Alphys are at the house within the hour. The lizard monster has a tin of tea to restock your supply and she pulls you into a crushing hug the second you groggily lock eyes with her. You thank her. The doctor wastes no time heading upstairs to check on Chara, and the two of you follow in her wake.

Papyrus is still with Chara. The two of you agreed not to leave them alone, making sure that someone was there in case there were any changes. He’s fidgeting with one of the cold compresses when you enter the room. Sliding off the bed to give Undyne some space, he moves to stand next to you. You feel a warm, smooth hand hesitate to slide into yours, and you grab it before he can pull back, squeezing hard. After a moment, he squeezes back.

Undyne adjusts her glasses as she looks Chara over, pressing a large hand to the side of their face and fumbling a little awkwardly at their wrist. Shoot, have you showed Papyrus how to check for a pulse yet? You’ll make sure to once they leave, but you’re glad Undyne seems to know. She mentioned having gone through a few books she found during the few hours between your early morning texts and your call. Did she even go to sleep last night? You’re not complaining, but…

“What’s wrong with Chara? Are they going to be okay, babe?” Alphys asks, clenching her fists and grimacing. The muscles in her arms are tense under her rough scales, and her body is rigid. She’s angry, you can tell, but she doesn’t have anyone to throw it at.

Undyne doesn’t answer her, instead turning to look at you and Papyrus. “The books I could find are old, and some are... Damaged. But the decision to keep them cool with these cloths is good. It should help while I work on fixing this,” She says, her voice more serious than you’ve ever heard before. She glances back at Chara, a small frown on her face. “I don’t understand what is wrong, exactly, except for Chara’s elevated temperature – but don’t worry! I’m going to fix this.”

“Then what can I do for now?” You ask. You fail to keep the note of desperation from your voice, if Papyrus squeezing your hand is any indication.

“Hmm, what you’re doing now is good. They need to stay cool, to keep their temperature down. Considering I don’t have any of the medicines mentioned in the books,  _ yet _ , that’s the best advice I can give.” She sighs, running a hand through Chara’s hair unconsciously. “Their Soul doesn’t feel sick, from what I could see at least. So whatever this is, it’s not magical. I have a couple of tools to examine them a little better. It might take a bit of time, but it should help me concoct something to cure them.”

“Okay, okay, yeah. Undyne, uh, do you need anything? Water, or something?” You say, stumbling over your words. You just can’t understand why this is happening to your baby.

She hesitates a moment, looking between you and Papyrus. “Uhm, actually, that would be great. And, uh, you can help me out while Papyrus gets it?”

“sure you don’t want me to help out, Undyne?” Papyrus says.

You don’t quite understand the look on Undyne’s face as she says, “Yes.”

There’s a moment of silence before Papyrus shrugs. “’k. thanks for coming over to help, by the way.” He gives your hand one more squeeze before walking out the door.

“Of course, Papyrus. What are friends for?”

The second the door shuts, you feel Alphys’ and Undyne’s eyes on you. “Okay, punk, how’d this happen? Kid’s too smart to just get sick like that,” Alphys grunts.

Oh no. You look between the two of them. Undyne has a curious look in her eyes, while Alphys is grimacing. “Okay, okay. They asked to go to the dump with some friends, and Papyrus agreed -”

“I KNEW it.” Alphys interrupts, muscles tensing as she shouts. “I’m gonna beat the crap out of him, I swear -”

“Don’t.” You cut her off, grabbing her shoulder before she can march out the door. “He… Papyrus is beating himself up over this already. I don’t want him convinced he killed...” You trail off, unable to say it.

“But it is! He should never have even THOUGHT it was a good idea? Didn’t the two of you agree not to leave Snowdin?” She shout-whispers. “He was an idiot to say yes!”

“Alphys, stop!” Oh fuck, did your voice crack? No, you’re not gonna start crying now. Undyne is looking helplessly at you. “Alphys, please. I’m worried about him too. Just… Can you make some tea? In case Chara wakes up, so I can give them some.”

She stares up at you for a moment, before grabbing you in a spine-breaking hug. “Of course, you nerd. Just make sure to call me if ANYTHING happens, okay?” She lets out a deep breath before giving you a grin.

Unddne hasn’t stopped watching you, even as she’s pulled out some sort of monitor from her… Somewhere. She wasn’t carrying a bag.  _ Magic _ , probably.

“So, uh, how can I help?” You ask, coming to sit by Chara’s side. They haven’t made any sort of noise aside from the wheeze of their breathing. “Hold a box up? Answer rhetorical questions?”

“The two of you are really similar.” You look up at Undyne. She has a soft, almost pained expression on her face. “Always trying to keep people occupied, or lighten the mood. Even when everything seems to be going terrible for you.”

Your hand tightens into a fist, grasping the blankets. “Yeah, well, it’s something I’m used to.”

“I would say Papyrus wouldn’t understand that part, but…” She trails off, focusing on the tiny machine before shaking her head. “No, never mind. Could you hold this? Thanks.”

She tosses it over to you. You barely catch it before it hits your lap. The machine has a tiny camera lens on one end, and a couple of knobs. Their labels make no sense to you. “What do you mean?”

Undyne sighs, sitting down as she places a stethoscope (Where did  _ that _ come from?) on Chara, plugging an extra cord into the machine. “Papyrus… He’s been through something.”

“Like what?”

“I don’t know.” She answers. “Turn that nob three times. Thanks.”

“Uh, what does it – Woah!” The screen turns on, and suddenly a cartoon heart – Chara’s Soul – appears on it. Numbers and symbols run along the sides, but they don’t make much sense. LV? HP? Are these game terms? The numbers keep jumping up and down.

“Hmm. Everything sounds normal, like I thought. Though, there seems to be an echo? I haven’t pulled this analyzer out in a while, so maybe that’s causing the effect. Regardless,” She pulls off the stethoscope from where they were hooked on her fins. “It wasn’t very long ago Papyrus started smoking. Only a few months before you fell down. He stopped talking to me, but… I’d still see him on the cameras. He started avoiding certain spots. Uhm, like the entrance to Hotland, and the path towards Waterfall.”

“He has his shortcuts, right? So he doesn’t really need to walk anywhere.”

“Well, yes.” She hesitates. “Maybe… Maybe I’m just overthinking things. But, in the past, he wouldn’t avoid everyone so much. At the very least, Sans could drag him out to talk to people. At least, after they first moved to Snowdin.”

Should you ask? You bite your lip. “Where did they live before?”

“Oh, the capital. They came to Snowdin a few years ago and -” Her eyes widen, and she stares at you. “He didn’t…? Oh dear. Uhm, oh… Can you hand me the box?!”

“Uh, sure, but…” You hand the box over. She narrows her eyes at it. “Why did they move?”

“Hmm, there’s definitely some sort of interference. No way this is right.” She sighs, completely ignoring your question. “I’ll need to run some tests with them back at the lab, but with the Queen around, it’d be better to put it off.”

“Undyne?” She twitches a little when you speak. Maybe… Maybe you shouldn’t push her. She clearly thinks she said something she shouldn’t have. You’ll have to ask Papyrus. It could just be something unimportant, that he didn’t think you wanted to hear… The cold feeling in your chest only grows.

“I’ll do everything I can, okay? Just…” She bites her lip, looking at the door. “Papyrus cares for you. It’s almost like seeing my old, heh, f-friend again. But, uhm, we’re here for you too.” She awkwardly reaches out and touches your arm. “Do you want Alphys to stick around? I can ask…”

“No, no.” You say, coughing. You give her a smile and sniffle. “I would rather she be with you, uhm, if you need any help. You know, seeing as  _ I  _ can’t do anything.”

“Okay.” She gives a weak smile and lets go. “But, do call one of us if anything develops, okay?”

“You know it.”

* * *

A couple of hours after Alphys and Undyne have left, and many texts with Alphys later, you hear the front door open and shut and Sans shout a greeting to the house. It’s been a haze of silent tears and reapplying cold compresses, listening to Chara’s breathing and waiting anxiously for some sign of them waking up. At one point, they groaned and squeezed your hand, but just as you felt hope stir in your chest, they went still again.

Papyrus mumbles a curse and pushes himself to his feet, vacating one of the two chairs you brought into the room. He slips out into the hall.

“HOW IS CHARA DOING?” You hear, from outside.

You’re pacing in the room, unable to sit still. You can’t handle just staring at your child, praying that they’ll make their next breath. Closing your eyes, you can’t believe that you honestly, truly wish that you were back on the surface.

“THAT CAN’T BE!”

Flinching at the sudden shout, you turn in time to see Sans shove the door open, rushing into the room with Papyrus trailing behind him. You expect him to push his way to the side of the bed maybe, or to reach out for Chara’s limp body. Instead, he almost slowly steps forward, a clear frown on his face. You can barely make out the lights in his eyes.

“I DON’T UNDERSTAND. CHARA WOULDN’T HAVE JUST FALLEN DOWN, WOULD THEY?” He says, shock clear in his voice.

“they didn’t fall down. they couldn’t have,” Papyrus says. You can’t tell who exactly he’s reassuring. He stands by the doorway, arms in his pockets. “they’re sick. that’s all…” He trails off, watching Chara.

“Why do you keep saying that?” You ask, voice quiet. You feel so empty and drained. “Isn’t that just a euphemism for… For death?”

Sans hugs himself, shaking his head slowly. Papyrus watches Chara. “no. it’s more a warning for monsters. before we die from natural, nonviolent means, we… fall unconscious. at that point, we’re still alive, at least for a while, before we turn to dust.”

“Ah,” You say. Because what else can you say?

“BUT THIS CAN’T BE THE SAME THING, RIGHT PAPYRUS? CHARA IS STILL GOING TO WAKE UP.” You can’t tell if Sans is asking for reassurance or giving it. 

“yeah. undyne is working extra hard back at the lab right now. we’ve been watching chara, waiting for them to feel better.” Papyrus squeezes his eyes shut before yawning, which snaps Sans attention to him.

“BROTHER, YOU HAVE NOT SLEPT A WINK, HAVE YOU? PLEASE, GET SOME SLEEP. I SHALL STAY WITH THE HUMANS IN YOUR STEAD.”

You look at Papyrus and realize that he’s right. Papyrus is exhausted; you can see dark circles under already dark eye sockets. Even his shoulders seem slumped over more than usual. Had you been so focused on Chara that you hadn’t noticed? You nod at him weakly. “You should rest, Paps. It’s… It’s probably gonna be another long night,” You say.

“but, hun, what about you? you need sleep too,” He says, frowning.

“I can go a little while longer. And, even if I tried, I doubt I’d get any sleep. I’ll be sure to later.” You smile at him, but you think it comes across more like a grimace.

Papyrus hesitates to approach you, and a disgusting part of you is satisfied at that, that he knows he’s done something wrong. But you’re quick to squash it down and let him hold your arms. 

“you positive?”

Nodding, you lean forward into a hug. You need to convince him that you aren’t upset with him – as well as yourself. That small, selfish part of you wants to lash out at him once more, as if yesterday hadn’t been bad enough. You try to smile again. “Yep. Now sleep, okay?”

You let him lean down to nuzzle your forehead, turning a little to kiss his jaw in return. “i will. but, get me if you need me.”

“I will.”

Papyrus leaves the room, glancing back at you before closing the door behind him. The only light in the room is the soft glow of Sans’ lamp, leaving shadows to stretch along the walls. It reminds you of those late nights rocking Chara back to sleep after a nightmare, sitting in the living room with the TV.

Sans lowers himself onto the chair next to Chara, and after a moment you join him. He clasps his hands together, seemingly focused on Chara entirely. You turn your attention to them as well. Their breathing is so slow, and their chest barely moves. How could this happen?

“He’s still blaming himself,” You say, softly. Has Papyrus even left your side until now? You left his; to go check the store, to cook, to re-soak the washcloths. But he hasn’t left this room unless asked. Has he even slept? You haven’t been paying any attention.

Sans lets out a sigh. His voice is quiet when he talks. “That sounds like my brother. But, do  _ you  _ blame him?”

Looking down at Chara, you lean forward in your chair, holding their hand in yours. You don’t want to respond, but… 

“Yeah,” You admit. “I hate it, because I shouldn’t take it out on him. I didn’t tell him enough…”

“But he should have been more careful, correct?” Sans says, much to your surprise. “I’ve cared for my brother for a long time, and I must say he has a terrible record of not thinking things through. You’re not being unfair to think that. But, Papyrus loves you both very much, and I know he would never intentionally have done something like that if he’d known. He’s a bit of a lazy bones, but…” He smiles at you, reaching out and grasping your shoulder. “When he cares about something, or someone, he tries. This… Seeing the two of you with him, he’s been so happy. In these past three months, it’s almost like seeing him discover his love for science all over again.”

But when he fails, and ends up hurting you or Chara? It’s wrong for you to focus on that, but you can’t get the thoughts out of your mind. You briefly wonder if something is wrong with you, that you’re not crying over this situation. You just have this empty ache in your chest. 

“If Chara… If Chara dies, I don’t know what I’ll do,” You say, voice cracking as you speak. Fuck, why is this happening. Sans shifts a bit closer and gives you a hug.

“You don’t need to know. You can’t focus on the negative, it just eats you up. If I thought about all the times I could have lost Papyrus…” Sans shakes his head, turning to Chara again. “You can’t prepare to lose someone you love.”

“I… Yeah,” You sigh. Sans lets go, but keeps a hand on your back, pressing and prodding at your spine. It’s… Oddly soothing. You don’t say anything, and he doesn’t stop, content to sit there in silence with you as you wait for something, anything, to change.

* * *

_ Chara? Chara, you have to stay determined. Please don’t give up. _

The voice and the words, they’re both distantly familiar. Chara isn’t sure why. But the voice is loud, and it was so quiet and peaceful before. They pull away, deeper into the darkness. It’s warm and comfortable. Their throat doesn’t burn and their body doesn’t ache.

_ If you stay, you’ll never come back. _

That’s okay. It’s nice here. Nothing hurts.

_ Chara, you have to stay determined. _

Has someone said that before? I can’t remember.

The voice hesitates.

Hey, what’s your name? You never told me…

_ … I’m Frisk. _

Huh. Frisk, why do you keep trying?

_ Because I already know what death feels like. I don’t want to do it again! _

Did someone kill you?

Frisk’s consciousness buzzes angrily, pushing against Chara’s. Chara draws away, confused.

_ That’s not important! You’re dying! Stop that! Stay determined! _

Determined? Why that? Who said that before? It’s so familiar…

_ That… My mom. She told me just before I… _

Huh. A mom. Was she nice?

Chara feels themselves slipping away, Frisk’s voice sounding more and more distant.

_ Chara! You  _ must _ stay determined! Don’t give up! _

* * *

Papyrus knows that even though you haven’t said the words, you must be blaming him. What little he’d overheard between you and the girls only proved it. He deserves it. If only he’d thought and really considered what he was doing, Chara would be fine. They wouldn’t be unconscious, draped in wet cloth and burning with fever.

He sent you and Sans to sleep about an hour ago. The house is quiet and he’s alone with Chara, hunched over in a chair with his elbows resting on his knees. He watches them, notices how still they are. They haven’t groaned or shifted in the last forty-five minutes, and their breathing is frighteningly shallow. It’s been a long time since he’s seen a monster that’s fallen down, but this is much too similar for comfort. He keeps waiting for the sounds of sifting dust.

You’ve barely spoken to him since Chara wouldn’t wake up. He can’t blame you. He can’t even muster up the energy to be frustrated, or defend himself. Because what’s there to argue? It’s all true, all of the words you refuse to say out loud.  _ His fault. He should have tried harder. Didn’t he think it through?  _ Was he just lazy? Or had he, deep down, still been scared of what the kid might do if they didn’t get what they wanted?

He wishes he could tell himself it isn’t true. That it was just because he truly cares.

But the whispers won’t go away.

The room is too quiet. He can’t make out the faint hiss of Chara’s breathing over his own. Bones humming with a sudden lurch of fear, Papyrus fumbles at their wrist like you and Undyne showed him. He can’t find it, and in desperation, Papyrus presses his head against Chara’s chest, desperately trying to hear their heartbeat. It’s so difficult to hear, and it feels like an eternity before he finally hears a weak pulse. Their Soul pulses in time with their heart, but he thinks that underneath the low tone he can feel a faint fluttering. Something strange and secondary. But, now that’s he’s so close, he can hear the faint drag of air between parted lips.

Papyrus leans back in his chair, hands settling back in his front pocket. This feeling of utter helplessness is maddening. He’s at the mercy of the universe, caught up with no way of fighting back, completely powerless.

_ please. please don’t take chara from me. from him. even if there isn’t a reset, there’s no going forward from this. how could he ever forgive me? i’m the one who caused this! why is this happening, who or what is tearing this away from me? what do you want?! i don’t want to lose them. _

He feels tears gathering in empty sockets as he squeezes them shut, fingers twisting in his pockets. He feels the cigarette packet in his pocket, and he pulls it out, staring at it. He needs something to help him, keep his mind off this feeling of being broken and beaten. Is this it? Is this what he deserves for surviving that damn accident? His happiness being stripped away before his eyes?

_ i’ll… i’ll try harder. i’ll do more, help sans more. i’ll, fuck, i’ll even give up smoking, whatever you want! please, what do you want from me?! _

“P-Papyrus?”

Papyrus’ head jerks up at the sound of Chara’s thin, hoarse voice, tears slipping down his cheekbones as his eyes open wide. They’re looking at him from beneath heavy lids, moistening dry lips with their tongue. “kiddo?”

“I don’t feel very good. And I’m sleepy,” Chara mumbles, their eyes fluttering as they threaten to close.

Papyrus lurches forward, cupping their cheek and patting gently. “no, you gotta stay awake, kiddo, c’mon! talk to me,” He begs, panic swelling up inside him, only to be joined by relief as their eyes open and meet his again. He gives the kid a shaky smile. “there ya go. how about i go get your dad, okay? he’ll be thrilled to see you awake.”

As he pushes away from the bed and goes to stand, he’s stopped by a tiny hand grabbing his fingers. “H-Hey, Papyrus? If I call my dad ‘dad,’ does that… make you my…  _ Pap _ -a?”

Papyrus stares at them, and the tiny, smug grin on their too-rosy face. “kid, why?”

“I… I wanna call you that. My papa.”

It wasn’t just some fever-pun. They… They really mean it.

“sure, chara, anything you want,” Papyrus says, his voice choking up.

“Anything?” They ask, and Papyrus can’t help but let out a choked laugh at the hopeful sound in their voice. Like he  _ wouldn’t  _ pull down the mountain if he could, just to keep that kid happy.

“Dad said not to tell you, but you can keep a secret, right? I… I really want you to be my other dad... Papyrus.” Chara gives a slow blink, and their eyes are a little unfocused. Papyrus can’t help but wonder if the kid is fully there, if they’ll even remember this conversation.

But that doesn’t matter. He needs to give a response, and how could he say no? “of course. but no secrets, okay? dad’s gotta agree too. deal, kiddo?”

Chara blinks again, but this time their eyes don’t reopen. Their hand goes limp in Papyrus’ hand.

“chara?”

He reaches to cup their face. They’re still burning up. Shallow breaths hiss past their teeth. Whatever made them regain consciousness, it’s gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oops! Sorry for posting a day late, I got back late and uuuh got distracted finishing Persona 5, haha. Well, hope you enjoy the chapter!
> 
> P.S. Chronicdelusionist is a wonderful person!
> 
> P.S.S. Onadacora is super cool!


	48. Last Shot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [ Onadacora's Original Fic ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/5053684/chapters/11621461) \--- [Chronicdelusionist's Comics](http://onadacora.tumblr.com/tagged/underswap-wtmyh/chrono) \--- [My Tumblr](http://darrelodin.tumblr.com/)

You’re woken up by the calm music of your phone ringing and the accompanying vibrations in your back pocket. Sans jerks awake under you, almost knocking the both of you to the floor as he tries and fails to stand up from the couch. Shoving against the pillow in his lap to sit up, you fumble for your phone, heart pounding in your chest.

“WHO IS THAT?” Sans asks, taking hold of your arms and helping you right yourself. He twists around you, trying to get a look at your screen as you answer the call. It’s Undyne. 

“We’re coming!” She shouts.

“UNDYNE! OH, I HOPE SHE HAS GOOD NEWS!” He says, squeezing your shoulders and bouncing on the cushion behind you.

“Did you make something?” You blurt out, rubbing your face and standing up.

“Yes! Yes, I just got it.” She says, and you can hear the hopeful smile in her voice. You swallow hard, tamping down a swell of optimism but still smiling despite your best efforts. You know you shouldn’t get your hopes up, that it could all fail, but… “Alphys and I are on our way! The Riverperson is making decent time, so we should be there in the next half hour.”

You close your eyes, letting out a shaky laugh. “Undyne, I can’t thank you enough for, for all of this,” You say, voice heavy. Sans wraps his arms around you and hugs you. You let out another laugh. “It means a lot.”

“Of course! I just hope this works out,” She says, voice going quiet. She sighs and you rub your eyes. “We’ll be there soon.”

You hang up the call and start shaking, hoping despite knowing that you shouldn’t. Because you’ve been let down before, so many times, but there’s a chance _.  _ There’s a  _ chance _ .

* * *

Sans stands at the doorway as he watches you tell his brother the news. He can tell Papyrus has been crying at some point and he thinks you notice it too. You sit on the chair beside him and slowly take his hand in yours, smiling through the tears forming in your eyes as you speak to him. Whatever blame you held against Papyrus is gone in this moment of hope. He’s glad. Maybe everything will be okay.

Sans swears he sees a smile rise to Papyrus’ face. But, in an instant, it’s gone. He squeezes your hand, and pulls you into his arms, but he’s grimacing. He almost looks like he’s in pain. The brothers look at each other from over your shoulder and Sans shoots him a worried look. A look that says, ‘It’s all going well now. Why aren’t you happy?’

Papyrus just looks away, squeezing you tighter.

* * *

Undyne sits on the edge of Sans’ spaceship bed while you cradle Chara’s head and shoulders in your lap, stroking hair away from their eyes. Papyrus stands at your side, one hand on your back. The other is clenched into a tight fist in his pocket. He’s watching you; the way you’re mumbling to yourself as you scour Chara’s face for some kind of sign, the way your fingers brush delicately over the kid’s forehead, how you’re leaning ever so slightly in his direction.

Papyrus won’t let himself be happy until the furrow in your brow smooths away; until that worry shadowing your face vanishes. God, he just wants to have the same hope that you and Sans have. He wants to hold on to that optimism that rises up even now within him. His recent experiences convince him not to let hope show on his face.

He wants to believe again.

Alphys hands the doctor a small, rectangular bag, then steps back to stand with Sans. From the bag, Undyne withdraws a large syringe and a small bottle filled halfway with a bright green, glowing liquid. Her hands are steady as she fills the needle.

This had better work. If all this just serves to get your hopes up, raising you so that the fall is that much harsher... Papyrus pushes the thought away. Undyne is doing her best. Everyone is just doing what they can to help.

“What the hell is that?” You ask, eyes darting up in alarm.

“Oh! Uh, human medicine and healing magic combined in liquid form. Normally healing magic only targets physical wounds, but infused with the medicine it should…” Undyne trails off, suddenly hesitant. She presses on the plunger to expel any extra air until a bead of green liquid appears at the tip, then looks at you, a question in her eyes.

"Oh," You say, tipping your chin towards your chest. "Sorry... I just... It kinda looks radioactive, you know?"

The doctor nods slowly, setting the bottle and bag aside so she can take Chara’s arm. Inserting the needle into their bicep, she presses the plunger.

Papyrus makes a silent plea to the universe for this to work.

* * *

You wait.

You adjust the cold compress on Chara’s forehead for what must be the fiftieth time, watching the tiny movements of their eyes beneath closed lids. Your other hand smooths away damp hair from their temples. They started sweating about fifteen minutes after Undyne gave them the injection. It’s been almost an hour now. You think the sweat is a good thing. It clears the body, right? Biology was never your strong suit.

Papyrus is sitting in the chair next to you, his arms folded under his head with one hand resting on your leg. Your eyes flicker over to him to see if he’s fallen asleep, but he hasn’t. He’s watching Chara, his expression unreadable.

Alphys is in the other chair, reading something on her phone. Her other hand is resting on the back of Undyne’s neck. The doctor is sitting on the ground, head resting against her girlfriend’s thigh. A loud snore indicates that she’s fallen asleep. You can’t blame her. She must have been working all through the night.

Sans is sitting cross-legged on the floor near the head of the bed, between Papyrus and the wall. He’s been staring at his model ship collection for the last ten minutes.

“Mmm…”

Your stomach twists and your heart leaps in your chest as you stare down at Chara, hands seeking their shoulders. Their face scrunches a little and their head turns to one side and then the other, before they let out a little groan. Their eyes blink up at you owlishly, reaching up to rub their eyes.

“Dad?” They ask in a tiny, raspy voice.

“Hey squirt,” You say, your voice choking up as you hold back tears, a stupid grin on your face.

Papyrus’ grip tightens on your leg and he lifts his head up. Sans whips around to look at Chara and Alphys drops her phone, rapidly shaking Undyne awake. But no one says anything. The room is quiet save for your choked laughter and Chara’s voice.

“Dad? Why are you crying?” They ask you, reaching up to wrap their arms around your neck.

You cradle Chara’s head in your hands, pulling them into your lap as a rush of emotions fill you. You’re giddy with relief, laughing even as the tears start falling. “Because you’re okay.”

* * *

“Dad. I feel okay now! Come on,” Chara complains, pouting at you from their spot on Sans’ bed. They lean back against a pile of pillows, crossing their arms and somehow managing to look down their nose at you.

“That is wonderful, but you are staying in bed at  _ least  _ until dinner. I am not having you overexert yourself and relapse hours after recovery,” You say, holding out a steaming mug of tea. Chara just gives it a dirty look, like it’s offended them somehow. “Can you drink this for me? Undyne says you need plenty of fluids because you got a little dehydrated while you were unconscious.”

Undyne and Alphys left shortly after Chara woke up and declared that their fever was gone. Well, more like Alphys carried Undyne out in the middle of the night. Undyne had passed out a little while after. It’s midday now, a little bit after lunchtime. Chara obediently ate a huge bowl of chicken noodle soup (or rather, devoured it), and afterwards decided that they were bored and wanted to get up.

You’re having none of that.

“If I do, can I  _ please  _ get up?” Chara asks.

“Chara, this is not up for debate,” You say, crossing your arms. “You were out cold for almost twenty-four hours. You are staying in bed, and then,  _ if I decide you can _ , you may.  _ And  _ you are drinking this tea.”

Chara lets out a long sigh, squinting at you. You raise an eyebrow, hoping that you just look unimpressed and not like  _ him _ . “If I have to,” Chara grumbles, and you wonder if they aren’t actually a fourteen-year-old in a six-year old’s body. They take the mug from you and give it a careful sip.

Papyrus appears in the doorway, leaning against the frame and raising a brow at you. You just give him an exasperated look and shake your head. His smile widens and you can’t help but smile back. You’re glad how it doesn’t feel like you need to try now. Chara slurps their tea loudly and gives you a wide-eyed look.

“you giving your dad a hard time, kiddo?” Papyrus asks, entering the room and sinking into the chair beside you. He slips one arm around your shoulder, tugging you closely into a side hug. It feels familiar, reassuring.  _ Normal _ . Like the last couple of days never happened.

“Yes,” Chara says proudly, taking a calmer sip of their drink.

“a criminal teaser, eh?” Papyrus says. You chuckle. “well, honesty is the best policy, or so i’m told. guess you’re off the hook for now, kiddo.”

Chara giggles and nearly chokes on their tea, earning Papyrus a nudge from you.

“okay, no more words of wisdom from me. i’ll leave it to your dad,” He says, glancing over at you and winking. “c’mon, sensei, teach us your ways.”

Yeah. Things are definitely going back to normal. You scoff, a smile rising to your face despite yourself. “What? Will the student finally learn from the master? And here I thought you didn’t watch those ‘children’s cartoons,’” You say, earning yourself a chuckle and a grin from Papyrus.

Chara’s eyes narrow as they look up at Papyrus, pursing their lips. “What children’s cartoons?”

“Oh, you know. Those shows that Alphys brought -”

“Hey!’ They blurt out, looking affronted. “Those are called anime!”

“are you sure? i think they’re actually called kid’s shows.”

“If they are, then all of us are also-”

You’re interrupted by a loud knock from the front door. You and Papyrus look at each other, sharing twin expressions of confusion.

“Did Sans forget his keys when he left?” You ask.

“he shouldn’t have. did the girls say they were coming by?” He asks in return, grin fading.

“No. They’re probably still asl-”

You’re interrupted again by another loud knock, this time followed by a muffled voice calling from the other side. “Hello! Is anyone home?”

You don’t know the speaker, but Papyrus freezes at your side. You start to ask him what’s wrong but he bolts up from the chair, turning to the door and then back to you. “stay quiet, don’t open the door. if anything happens i swear i’ll come get you before she can find you.”

You tense up, the hairs on the back of your neck prickling and raising. “Paps, what is-?”

“it’s toriel. she just had to fu-” He bites off the curse with a quick glance at Chara. “just, trust me, and stay here.”

Papyrus closes the door behind him before you can say anything else.

“Dad?” Chara asks, their voice making you flinch.

Shushing them, you reach out to put your hand on their leg and give a reassuring squeeze. “I need you to be quiet, okay squirt?” You whisper. “Toriel can’t find out we’re up here.”

Chara nods and you squeeze them again. Taking a steadying breath, you get up to press your ear to the bedroom door.

“- children were telling me that one of their peers was out sick! I thought I might stop by to say hello, and perhaps offer them a treat.” Toriel’s voice is warm and motherly. You remember finding a few photos of her in the history books you read. What stuck out most to you was her piercing gaze in every picture.

“that’s really sweet of you, but they’re asleep right now.” You look over at Chara as they watch you, wide-eyed with their mug clutched in their hands.

“Well, that is good! A sick child needs rest. Which reminds me, Papyrus, I had no idea that you and Sans were taking care of one! I am happy for you both; children certainly do bring life into a home.” She sounds a little melancholy. You might feel sorry for her if you weren’t so scared.

“the kiddo sure does. them and their dad have been staying with us. it’s been nice. too bad about the kiddo feeling sick right now. i’m sure they’ll catch you next time you’re around.”

“Oh, do not worry. I am more than happy to wait.” You hold back a groan, clenching your hands into fists. Come on, Paps! Get her out.

“eh, that’s real kind of you, but they just fell asleep a few minutes ago, so they’ll probably be out for a while. and besides, i’d hate to keep you from all those important queen things you probably have to do.”

“Indeed, you are quite right,” Toriel says, letting out a tired sigh. “But still, the chance to lift the spirits of a sick child is something I hold in high regard.  _ Tibia  _ honest, I would still like to help.” 

No, she didn’t.

“well, my queen, i-” Papyrus pauses and lets out a groan, much to Toriel’s amusement. “it’s very nice of you to say, but it pains me to think you’d go so far out of your way for us. you’re really too kind. you know what, i’m sure the kid will be okay waiting until your next visit. or, uhm, we could visit new home sometime, right?”

“Ah, that would be a wonderful idea!” You breathe a sigh of relief. Hopefully now she’ll go. You give Papyrus your silent thanks. “Once they are feeling better, then.”

“’course.”

“Give my well wishes to the child, if you could.”

“you know it.”

“And their father as well.”

“no problem.”

“Ah! And, would you happen to know if they like butterscotch or cinnamon?”

“uhm, i’d say cinnamon.” Damn it Papyrus, the right answer was butterscotch.

“Wonderful. Now, please, have a wonderful day, Papyrus.”

“you too, toriel.”

There’s a moment of silence and then the sound of the front door closing. You reach for the door handle when-

You hear the door reopening, followed by, “Oh! Papyrus, one more question!”

There’s a beat where your heart stops and your muscles tense so much it hurts. Can’t she take a hint? You hear Papyrus cough.

“yeah?”

“They would not happen to  _ dislike  _ butterscotch, would they? No reason, of course.”

“oh, i’m sure they wouldn’t mind it,” Papyrus says, and you can tell without even seeing him that his casual tone is forced.

“I’ll be sure to remember that. Please, let me know when you decide to stop by so I can be ready.”

“absolutely. i’m sure sans will love it. he might talk them down, but deep down he’s got a sweet tooth as big as mine.”

Toriel laughs, in what can only be described as a noblewoman’s laugh. In any other circumstance, it might sound cheerful and calming, but right now it just feels you with unease. “It’ll be quite nice to hear some of you brothers’ jokes again. I do so miss your visits to the TTT hotel. Now then have a lovely day.”

“you too, bud.”

Silence. The sound of the door closing. You don't bother reaching for the handle. A few moments pass and then you feel and hear a small rap on the bedroom door. You jump to the side, opening it just enough to peek out and see Papyrus. He's grimacing, nervous sweat dotting the side of his skull as he lets out a haggard sigh.

Papyrus pushes his way through the door and shuts it behind him, wrapping his arms around you and tugging you close. You mirror him, giving him a squeeze as he rests his chin on your forehead. He lets out a long, frustrated groan and tenses against you.

“i’m here. no one is going to hurt you two. no one.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another fun chapter for you all, filled with happiness and cheer. Chapter updates might hit some slowdown again. I've kinda hit Undertale fatigue, and on top of that, I have essentially a full-time job for most of the summer that started today. However, I still have stuff planned out, so chapters will keep coming!
> 
> P.S. Chronicdelusionist is super supportive through all my madness.
> 
> P.S.S. Onadacora is super cool y'all.


	49. Wonder

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [ Onadacora's Original Fic ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/5053684/chapters/11621461) \--- [Chronicdelusionist's Comics](http://onadacora.tumblr.com/tagged/underswap-wtmyh/chrono) \--- [My Tumblr](http://darrelodin.tumblr.com/)

As much as Chara will deny it, they’re still recovering from being sick even two days later. Despite this, after being allowed to play around the house with you and Papyrus, they put up a bit of a fight as you tell them to get some rest after lunch.

“But dad, why can’t I sit and watch TV?” Chara whines, as you carry them up the stairs. Even now, their eyelids seem to be drooping shut.

“Because you still need some rest,” You say without pause. They still feel so tiny in your arms. At least now, it’s simply adorable, but the thought of them coughing again…

“But I don’t need any.”

You let out a good-natured sigh. “Please? For me?”

They peer blearily up at you as you place them on Sans’ bed, before letting out a tired sigh and nodding.

“Thanks, squirt.” You give their hair a ruffle, much to their annoyance, before leaning down and kissing their forehead. Pulling back, you move the blanket over them, watching them curl up with a small smile on your face.

Turning, you see Papyrus at the door. He’s watching the two of you with a goofy grin on his face. Probably thinking about how lucky he is to have the two of you or something, the sap. You walk over, giving him a light jab to the ribs. “What are you looking at, hmm?”

“oh, just my captured humans.” He throws his arms around you, pulling you close. “i think they’re pretty great.”

“Knew it. You flatterer.” You scoff, shaking your head. Still, you can’t help but give him a squeeze. “You should probably go to work today, you know that?”

“you sure, hun? i can get away with another day off.”

“Yeah, but you’ve missed a lot because of us.” You look up at him, cupping his chin. Papyrus leans into your touch, the slight worry on the edge of his face fading. “Don’t worry, we’ll still be here when you come back.”

He nuzzles your forehead before pulling back. “if you’re sure.”

“I am. I’m a big boy, remember?”

“oh, i  _ definitely  _ do.” He murmurs, voice dipping slightly. You nudge him again, feeling your face heat up. “alright, i’ll head out then. just call if something happens, okay?”

“’Course, Paps.”

You’re still blushing when Papyrus walks out the door. God, he’s such a sap. Your sap, but a sap all the same. Papyrus has been so worried about everything, you think. Until today, he hasn’t left you or Chara’s side. You wonder if he would have at all, if you hadn’t asked.

Closing the bedroom door, you sigh. Even now, you can’t bring yourself to ask Papyrus for much. You’re afraid to find out what he wouldn’t tell you. You thought you worked through this, yet, here you are. Questioning yourself, and questioning Papyrus. The simple truth is, you don’t trust Papyrus to tell you things related to himself. There are so many things, little inconsistencies, that nag at you.

Undyne mentioned secrets when she was over. What would Papyrus have to hide, though? And she’s let slip things before. Like at the party, what was it?  _ One day the energy seemed to just... Fall away. _ That’s what she’d told you. And she always mumbles whenever you ask about her past relations with him. Sighing, you push yourself off from Sans’ door. Secrets, secrets, and more secrets. Who the hell knows what’s hiding even in this house?

As you take a step down the stairs, you pause. You’ve never thought about it before, but something about the house is off. In fact, a large chunk of space seems to just go unused underneath these stairs. You glance around, already knowing you won’t see any door on the upper level that would lead there.

There aren’t any extra rooms on the ground level, and there’s no basement staircase hidden in any of the closets. So, how would someone get into the space there? Seeing as there isn’t anything inside, you grab your coat, slip on some boots and head out the door.

Sure enough, around the mailboxes, and angled around a corner wall  _ just so _ to hide it from casual observation, there’s a side door.  

You’ve been in the backyard numerous times, but never tried going in, or even noticed it was there. Well, you’re sure it’s not a big deal if you do now, right? Reaching forward, you twist the handle and nothing happens. It’s locked.

Why does the clicking of a locked door leave you feeling so empty?

* * *

You leave the backyard sometime later – your phone says it’s been almost twenty minutes – and end up sitting on the couch, staring blankly at the television. Should you ask Papyrus about it? It’s not weird to, or anything. Maybe he’d even tell you. You let out a laugh. You can ask him anything, right? What’s the big deal?

‘Hey, Paps? Where does that door in the back lead to? Storage?’

You send it, anxiety buzzing in your chest. This isn’t a big deal, you remind yourself. You’re just asking about the house. You wait… And wait. Five minutes pass, and you start pacing.

Why does Papyrus hide things from you? Is it fear of something? What on Earth could have happened to make him think you’d reject him after  _ everything  _ you’ve gone through and done? What sort of skeletons does he have in his closet to make him think that?... Heh, you should say that one to Sans. It’d get a laugh.

The smile on your face fades quickly. You can’t just sit here with your thoughts. You’ll drive yourself mad, and Papyrus will definitely notice. You don’t want a repeat fight, especially after this weekend. Maybe talking to someone would help? But who could you talk to?

Sans? You would feel a little bad going to him just to complain about his brother. Again.

Alphys? No, she’d probably stalk Papyrus down and fight him. After the emotional rollercoaster these past few days, you really don’t want to deal with that. Undyne would clam up and awkwardly try to change the subject… And then Alphys would find out, because Undyne would feel guilty, and you’d be knee-deep in the same problem anyway.

You hang your head with a sigh. Your friends are great, but you don’t think they’ll help here. You need an outside perspective.

You pull up Asgore’s number in your phone. You hesitate, finger hovering over the button. Should you bother him with this? You haven’t talked since that last time before Chara got sick. But he also said to call whenever, right? It’ll be fine, you think, and start the call.

One ring. Two rings.

“Howdy! Who might this be?” Comes a deep, warm voice before the third comes in.

“Hey, Asgore. It’s me.”

“Oh, young one, hello!” He sounds so pleased that you can’t help but smile softly. “So nice to hear your voice again. How are you? How is Chara?”

“It’s… Things have been stressful. Chara got sick, and only got better a couple of days ago.”

“Golly! How are they now? Are they okay?” He says, worry clear in his voice.

“Yeah, they’re practically fighting me to get out of bed now.” You say, letting out a small chuckle. “It was some sort of fever, we think? Undyne isn’t completely sure, since she doesn’t know human diseases, and I really don’t have a clue.”

Did Asgore and Toriel ever have to deal with such things when they were raising their human child? You never even thought about it, but then again, you don’t know how long they were raising said child. Would be it be rude to ask? Probably.

“That you were all so worried over this... I am so terribly sorry for you all. If I…” Asgore trails off. “Well, I am glad that Chara is doing better now. But, how are you feeling? I am sure you have had a stressful few days, as well.”

“That’s a hell of an understatement,” You say, a tired smile rising to your face. It quickly fades as you continue talking. “I was worried and scared and just… Angry, for a while. None of this would have happened if Pa- he hadn’t let Chara go out to explore the dump. But I couldn’t stay angry – not with Chara bedridden. He wasn’t happy with himself either, but none of us could do anything until we got Undyne’s help.”

Asgore listens quietly through it all, and the faint sound of water trickling in the background is oddly calming as you speak.

“And now, I’m just working myself up again. But Chara is still recovering and I shouldn’t cause any problems.” You rub your face tiredly. “I’m really just a mess.”

“Young one, if there is one thing I have learned in my many, many years of living, it is that  _ everyone  _ is a bit of a, ah, mess. Stressful times leave us wishing for answers, and it is not wrong to step back and meditate on this.” You hear his friendly tone take on some worry. “And why on Earth would you be causing anyone any trouble? I can hardly imagine that any of your friends would find your worries an annoyance.”

“I know, I know…” You sigh, falling back onto the couch. You want to believe him, because it’s not like he’s wrong. You know this. And yet… “Hey, Asgore? Can I... Talk to you about it?”

“Of course. I am happy to listen.”

“I…” Should you really talk about it? You’re just causing trouble. But, you called expressly for this. “Pa… Your door friend has been keeping secrets from me. And I’m just hurt, you know? I’ve told him everything. He knows so much about what I’ve gone through and what I’ve dealt with and I find out about  _ him _ from everyone but him these days.”

“And I take it my friend does not reveal this sort of information readily.” Asgore says. You hear a low hum over the phone. “Young one, I certainly understand how you might feel this way. Secrets between those who love each other can only lead to grief.”

You don’t comment on the clear sorrow in his voice. “I know. I just don’t want to pressure him, you know?”

“Understandable. But, perhaps you can bring this to his attention? He clearly respects and holds you dear.” A pause. “But, I suppose you already know that. In the event that he doesn’t, at least make it clear that you only wish to get to know him better. You are not wrong for asking, and he should recognize that you are not meaning to intrude.”

You rub your forehead. You called a man who treats everyone like their own child. Of course he wants you to talk to Papyrus about this. You try not to sigh into the phone. Asgore’s advice is sound. You just wish you didn’t know that.

Asgore must understand something from your silence, as he continues, “There is no need to rush such a thing, of course. And I do hope you understand that it is okay you feel this way. You are not wrong to.”

You can’t help but smile. “Thanks Asgore. Hey, listen. I know you don’t plan on leaving anytime soon, but if you do? I’m going to make you the best pancakes I can. I’ve gotta give you something for all this advice you’re giving me.”

“You know? I think one day, I shall take you up on that offer. Thank you.”

“Nah, thank you, Asgore. I’ll call you tomorrow, okay?”

Ending the call, you see you have a couple of texts from Papyrus.

‘oh, that? yeah, it’s stuff from before we moved to snowdin.’

‘haven’t gone down there in ages though.’

* * *

“When can I go out to play again?” Chara asks.

They’re bundled up on the couch, blankets surrounding them. Papyrus is behind them, checking something on his phone with an arm wrapped around them. You’re leaning on his side. In the kitchen, you can hear Sans making dinner. He’d apparently found himself a cookbook while at training with Alphys – how it ended up in the dump is a question you don’t want the answer to – and decided he wanted to try surprising everyone with it. After months of living with the skeleton brothers, you trust Sans to follow instructions without experimenting… At least not  _ too _ much... When Alphys isn’t present.

“Hmm, maybe tomorrow. If,” You interrupt Chara’s excited shout, “You eat all your food for dinner tonight.”

“it is a surprise meal tonight. think of it like mystery mea-”

A heavy knocking at the door interrupts Papyrus, and you all freeze. Your mind jumps to the worst conclusion, and from the horrified look on Papyrus’ face, so does he. Toriel didn’t come back, did she? It’s so late!

“keep quiet, we’ll just get out.” He mutters, grabbing both of you.

There’s another loud knock. A familiar voice calls in. “Hello? Is anyone home?”

It’s Asgore’s voice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things to do when near the mountains: Hike. Things to do after hiking: STRETCH
> 
> Hope you enjoyed the chapter! It's a tad bit shorter, unfortunately, but what can ya do? It was a bit of a grind thinking this one up, but overall it came out pretty good! Of course, that's thanks to Chronicdelusionist improving it. They're preeety great.
> 
> P.S. Onadacora is super cool too y'all.

**Author's Note:**

> Any question or critiques, let me know in the comments below, or on my [tumblr](http://darrelodin.tumblr.com/). 
> 
> Have a great day!


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